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"It  is  coming-  this  way!"  yelled  Larry.  —  Page  84. 


Solfciers  of  fortune  Series 


AT  THE  FALL  OF  PORT  ARTHUR 


A   YOUNG    AMERICAN    IN    THE 
JAPANESE    NAVY 


EDWARD    STRATEMEYER 

Author  of  "  Under  the  Mikado's  Flag,"  "  On  to  Pekin,"  "  Two  Young 

Lumbermen,"  "  Old  Glory  Series,"  "  Colonial  Series," 

"Pan-American  Series,"  etc. 


ILLUSTRATED    BY  A.   B.   SHUTE 


BOSTON : 

LOTHROP,   LEE   &  SHEPARD  CO. 
1930 


COPYBIOHT,    1905,    BT  LoTHKOP,    LXE    A    SHEPABD    CoMPAITT 


All  right*  reserved 


AT  THB  FALL  or  POBT  ABTHUB 


FRIKTBD  IN  U.S.A. 


Stack 
Annex 


PREFACE 

"  AT  THE  FALL  OF  PORT  ARTHUR  "  is  a  complete 
tale  in  itself,  but  forms  the  third  volume  in  a  line 
issued  under  the  general  title  of  "  Soldiers  of  For- 
tune Series." 

The  story  relates  primarily  the  adventures  of 
Larry  Russell  and  his  old-time  sea  chum,  Luke 
Striker,  already  well  known  to  the  readers  of  my 
"  Old  Glory  Series."  Larry  and  Luke  are  aboard  of 
their  old  ship,  the  Columbia,  bound  from  Manila  to 
Nagasaki,  with  a  cargo  designed  for  the  Japanese 
Government.  This  is  during  the  war  between 
Russia  and  Japan,  and  when  close  to  the  Japanese 
coast  the  schooner  is  sighted  by  a  Russian  warship 
and  made  a  prize  of  war. 

As  prisoners  both  Larry  and  Luke  see  something 
of  life  in  the  Russian  navy.  When  close  to  Vladi- 
vostok, the  Russian  warship  falls  in  with  several  ships 
of  the  Japanese  fleet,  and  after  a  thrilling  sea-fight 
surrenders  with  her  prize.  This  brings  Larry  and 
Luke  before  Admiral  Togo,  and  as  Larry's  brother 
Ben,  with  their  mutual  friend,  Gilbert  Pennington, 
is  already  in  the  Japanese  army,  Larry  enters  the 


2138469 


VI  PREFACE 

Japanese  navy  and  Luke  follows  suit.  The  siege 
and  bombardment  of  Port  Arthur  are  at  their 
height ;  and  the  particulars  are  given  of  many  battles 
both  on  the  sea  and  on  land,  leading  up  to  the  ulti- 
mate surrender  of  that  brave  Russian  commander, 
General  Stoessel,  and  the  fall  of  the  city.  By  this 
surrender  the  Japanese  obtained  many  thousands  of 
prisoners  of  war,  hundreds  of  cannon,  with  large 
quantities  of  ammunition,  and  several  scores  of  ves- 
sels, useful  for  either  fighting  purposes  or  as  trans- 
ports. Moreover,  this  victory  placed  the  entire 
southern  portion  of  Manchuria  under  Japanese  con- 
trol, giving  the  army  untrammeled  use  of  the 
railroad  running  from  Port  Arthur  to  Liao-Yang, 
a  city  on  the  road  to  Mukden,  captured  some 
time  before,  as  already  related  in  another  volume 
of  this  series,  entitled  "  Under  the  Mikado's 
Flag." 

As  I  have  mentioned  in  a  previous  work,  it  is  as 
yet  impossible  to  state  what  the  outcome  of  this  ter- 
rific conflict  will  be.  So  far  victory  has  perched 
largely  upon  the  standard  of  Japan.  The  Russian 
navy  has  been  practically  shattered  and  its  army 
fought  to  a  standstill.  The  cost  of  the  war  has  been 
tremendous  to  both  countries.  Countless  thousands 
of  lives  have  already  been  sacrificed.  Would  that 
peace  were  soon  at  hand ! 


PREFACE  Vli 

Again  I  thank  my  young  friends  for  their  appre- 
ciation of  my  former  stories.  May  the  present  tale 
fulfill  every  reasonable  expectation. 

EDWARD  STRATEMEYER. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  FAGI 

I.     LARRY  AND  His  FRIENDS i 

II.  A  STORM  ON  THE  PACIFIC    ..,..10 

III.  LARRY  LEARNS  SOMETHING 20 

IV.  THE  RUSSIAN  SAILOR'S  PLOT        ....      29 
V.     SIGNS  OF  A  MUTINY 38 

VI.  THE  FIGHT  FOR  THE  SHIP    .....      47 

VII.  THE  MUTINEERS  IN  POSSESSION    ....      56 

VIII.  TURNING  THE  TABLES    ...                               66 

IX.     CLOSE  TO  A  WATERSPOUT 76 

X.  SOMETHING  ABOUT  WAR  AND  FIGHTING  SHIPS    .      86 

XI.     AN  ORDER  TO  LAY-TO 95 

XII.  TAKEN  AS  A  PRIZE  OF  WAR         ....     103 

XIII.  PRISONERS  ON  THE  Pocastra        .        .        .        .113 

XIV.  PROGRESS  OF  THE  WAR 122 

XV.  A  SHARP  NAVAL  BATTLE      .        .        .  •      .        .132 

XVI.  ABOARD  A  JAPANESE  WARSHIP      ....     140 

XVII.  THE  RETAKING  OF  THE  Columbia       ,        ,        .     148 

XVIII.    A  CLEVER  RUSE 156 

XIX.  THE  DISAPPEARANCE  OF  THE  ENEMY    .        .        .     164 

XX.  LARRY  BEFORE  ADMIRAL  Toco    .        .        .        .171 

XXI.  LETTERS  OF  INTEREST    .        .        ,        .        ,        .180 

XXII.     A  MEETING  AND  A  PLOT 189 

XXIII.  THE  ATTACK  IN  THE  DARK          .        .        .        .198 

XXIV.  THE  DEFENSE  OF  THE  POWDER  TRAW       ,        .    206 
XXV.  BOMBARDING  A  PORT  ARTHUR  FORT    .        .        .315 

tit 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 

XXVI.  BEN  MEETS  CAPTAIN  BARUSKY  . 

XXVII.  A  FIERCE  BATTLE  AT  SEA 

XXVIII.  THE  SIEGE  OF  PORT  ARTHUR 

XXIX.  FROM  ONE  DIFFICULTY  TO  ANOTHER 

XXX.  A  SURPRISE  FOR  LARRY 

XXXI.  A  CALL  TO  REPEL  BOARDERS    . 

XXXII.  FALL  OF  PORT  ARTHUR— CONCLUSION 


PAGE 
223 
232 
240 
248 
258 
266 
274 


AT  THE  FALL  OF  PORT  ARTHUR 


AT  THE    FALL   OF    PORT 
ARTHUR 

CHAPTER  I 

LARRY   AND    HIS   FRIENDS 

"  UNLESS  I  miss  my  guess,  Luke,  we  are  going 
to  have  a  storm." 

"  Jest  what  I  was  thinking,  Larry.  And  when 
it  comes  I  allow  as  how  it  will  be  putty  heavy," 
replied  Luke  Striker,  casting  an  eye  to  the  westward, 
where  a  small  dark  cloud  was  beginning  to  show 
above  the  horizon. 

"  Well,  we  can't  expect  fine  weather  all  the  time," 
went  on  Larry  Russell,  inspecting  the  cloud  with 
equal  interest.  "  We  want  some  wind  anyway," 
he  added.  "  We  are  not  making  this  return  trip 
to  Nagasaki  nearly  as  fast  as  we  made  the  trip  to 
Manila." 

Luke  Striker,  a  bronzed  and  weather-beaten 
Yankee  sailor,  rubbed  his  chin  reflectively.  "  I  was 
jest  thinking  o'  the  day  I  spied  the  old  Columbia  in 
Manila  harbor,"  he  said,  meditatively.  "  Tell  ye, 


AT  THE    FALL   OF    PORT 
ARTHUR 

CHAPTER  I 

LARRY   AND    HIS    FRIENDS 

"  UNLESS  I  miss  my  guess,  Luke,  we  are  going 
to  have  a  storm." 

"  Jest  what  I  was  thinking,  Larry.  And  when 
it  comes  I  allow  as  how  it  will  be  putty  heavy," 
replied  Luke  Striker,  casting  an  eye  to  the  westward, 
where  a  small  dark  cloud  was  beginning  to  show 
above  the  horizon. 

"  Well,  we  can't  expect  fine  weather  all  the  time," 
went  on  Larry  Russell,  inspecting  the  cloud  with 
equal  interest.  "  We  want  some  wind  anyway," 
he  added.  "  We  are  not  making  this  return  trip 
to  Nagasaki  nearly  as  fast  as  we  made  the  trip  to 
Manila." 

Luke  Striker,  a  bronzed  and  weather-beaten 
Yankee  sailor,  rubbed  his  chin  reflectively.  "  I  was 
jest  thinking  o'  the  day  I  spied  the  old  Columbia  in 
Manila  harbor,"  he  said,  meditatively.  "  Tell  ye, 


2  AT   THE    TALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

Larry,  the  sight  'most  struck  me  dumb.  '  The 
Columbia,'  sez  I  to  myself.  An'  then  I  thought  I 
must  be  a-dreamin'.  I  wanted  to  find  this  ship  ag'in 
in  the  worst  way." 

"  The  ship  certainly  seems  like  a  home  to  me, 
Luke — and  I  reckon  she  always  will  seem  that  way. 
I've  traveled  a  good  many  miles  in  her,  since  I  first 
struck  her  at  Honolulu  in  the  Hawaiian  Islands," 
responded  Larry  Russell. 

"  Yes — both  of  us  have.  But  we  never  took  no 
trip  like  this  afore — carryin'  a  cargo  for  the  Japa- 
nese Government,  with  that  government  at  war 
with  Russia."  Luke  Striker  lowered  his  voice. 
"  What's  the  outlook  ?  Does  the  old  man  reckon  to 
fall  in  with  a  Russian  warship  afore  we  can  reach 
Nagasaki  ?  " 

"  Hush,  Luke ;  you  mustn't  mention  our  cargo," 
came  from  Larry  Russell,  hastily. 

"  I  ain't  mentionin'  it  to  anybody  but  you." 

"  Captain  Ponsberry  is  in  hopes  that  we  shall  not 
meet  any  Russian  warships." 

"But  what  if  we  do?" 

"  Then  we  shall  have  to  show  our  heels  as  best  we 
can." 

"  A  sailing  vessel  can't  show  much  o'  a  pair  o' 
heels  to  a  man-o'-war." 

"  That  is  true." 


LARRY    AND    HIS    FRIENDS  3 

"  I  suppose,  if  the  Columbia  was  overhauled  by  a 
Russian  warship,  they'd  consider  us  a  prize  of  war ; 
wouldn't  they  ?  "  continued  the  old  Yankee  sailor. 

"  They  would,  unless  Captain  Ponsberry  could 
get  out  of  it  in  some  way." 

"  How  do  you  think  he  might  get  out  of  it?  " 

"  Well,  you  must  remember  that  our  cargo 
doesn't  belong  to  the  Japanese  Government  yet. 
We  are  carrying  it  from  Manila  to  Nagasaki  for 
the  Richmond  Importing  Company.  The  Russians 
would  have  to  prove  their  case  against  us  before 
they  could  claim  the  schooner  as  a  legitimate  prize 
of  war." 

"  I  see.  Well,  I  reckon  as  how  them  Russians 
would  do  'most  anything  to  square  accounts  with 
the  Japs.  So  far,  accordin'  to  my  notions,  they  have 
been  losin'  ground  right  along  in  this  war." 

"  Yes,  and  they'll  lose  more  before  the  Japs  are 
through  with  'em,  Luke.  But  that  storm  is  coming 
up  fast,"  went  on  Larry  Russell,  with  another  ex- 
amination of  the  black  cloud.  "  I'll  have  to  tell  the 
captain.  If  we  don't  shorten  sail  it  may  do  us  some 
damage." 

With  the  last-mentioned  remark  Larry  Russell 
walked  aft,  toward  the  companionway  of  the  Colum- 
bia, a  staunch  three-masted  schooner  that  hailed 
from  Gloucester.  He  was  second  mate  of  the  craft 


4  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

and  as  such  it  was  now  his  duty  to  inform  Captain 
Nat  Ponsberry  that  a  storm  was  approaching. 

To  those  of  my  young  friends  who  have  read 
"  Under  Dewey  at  Manila  "  and  other  volumes  of 
the  "  Old  Glory  Series  "  Larry  Russell  needs  no  in- 
troduction. He  was  one  of  three  brothers,  who,  left 
in  the  charge  of  a  miserly  step-uncle,  had  thought  it 
best  to  go  away  from  home  and  seek  fortune  in  va- 
rious parts  of  the  globe.  Larry  had  drifted  to  San 
Francisco  and  then  to  Honolulu,  where  he  had 
fallen  in  with  Captain  Nat  Ponsberry  and  the  Co- 
lumbia, as  already  mentioned.  He,  with  his  sailor 
friend,  Luke  Striker,  had  been  cast  away,  and  while 
adrift  on  the  Pacific  had  been  picked  up  by  the 
Asiatic  Squadron  under  Commodore  (afterward 
Admiral)  Dewey,  to  serve  with  honor  during  the 
memorable  battle  of  Manila  Bay. 

Since  those  days  a  great  many  things  had  oc- 
curred to  the  Russell  boys.  Ben,  the  oldest  of  the 
three,  had  served  as  a  young  volunteer  in  Cuba  dur- 
ing the  advance  on  Santiago,  and  as  an  officer  with 
the  army  in  the  Philippines,  and  Walter,  the  third 
brother,  had  served  in  the  navy  in  Cuban  waters  and 
elsewhere.  In  the  meantime  the  miserly  step-uncle 
had  reformed,  and  now  thought  "  his  three  boys," 
as  he  called  them,  "  the  best  young  fellers  in  all 
America,  barrin'  none !  " 


LARRY    AND    HIS   FRIENDS  $ 

Larry  Russell  was  a  natural  sailor,  and  when  his 
term  in  the  navy  came  to  an  end  he  could  not  bear 
to  think  of  giving  up  the  sea.  He  heard  that  his  old 
ship  was  bound  for  a  trip  to  Japan  and  other  ports, 
and  at  once  communicated  with  Captain  Ponsberry, 
with  the  result  that  he  became  second  mate  of  the 
schooner,  the  first  mate  being,  as  of  old,  Tom  Gran- 
don,  a  personal  friend  of  Captain  Ponsberry. 

At  this  time  Walter  Russell  had  gone  into  busi- 
ness, and  was  doing  remarkably  well.  But  Ben  was 
doing  nothing,  and  Larry  persuaded  his  oldest 
brother  to  come  aboard  the  ship  at  Manila,  for  the 
trip  to  Nagasaki  and  Port  Arthur.  This  was  just 
at  the  outbreak  of  the  war  between  Russia  and 
Japan,  but  the  brothers  at  that  time  knew  noth- 
ing about  the  tremendous  conflict  so  close  at 
hand. 

The  Columbia  was  carrying  a  cargo  for  the  Rich- 
mond Importing  Company,  represented  in  Japan 
and  China  by  Gilbert  Pennington,  who  had  served 
with  Ben  Russell  in  our  army  in  Cuba  and  the  Philip- 
pines. From  Manila  Gilbert  had  gone  to  China,  to 
fight  the  Boxers,  as  already  described  in  "On  to 
Pekin,"  the  first  volume  of  this  "  Soldiers  of  Fortune 
Series."  With  the  end  of  the  Boxer  conflict,  Lieu- 
tenant Pennington,  as  he  had  then  become,  turned 
from  war  to  business,  and  soon  made  a  number  of 


D  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

business  transactions  which  were  highly  gratifying 
to  the  company  that  he  represented. 

When  the  Columbia  arrived  at  Nagasaki,  Captain 
Ponsberry  learned  that  the  war  had  begun  and  that 
to  get  to  Port  Arthur — a  Russian  stronghold  in 
Manchuria — was  out  of  the  question.  While  he 
was  awaiting  orders  Gilbert  Pennington  appeared 
on  the  scene.  Gilbert  had  had  great  difficulties  in  get- 
ting away  from  Port  Arthur,  having  been  suspected 
by  the  Russian  officials  of  being  a  spy.  He  wished 
to  know  at  once  if  the  ship's  cargo  was  safe. 

"  As  safe  as  when  we  left  home,"  had  been  Cap- 
tain Ponsberry 's  reply. 

"  Good !  "  answered  the  young  agent,  and  then  he 
wished  to  know  if  anything  had  been  done  about 
selling  the  goods.  Captain  Ponsberry  replied  that 
he  had  been  ordered  to  do  nothing  until  he  received 
word  from  Gilbert.  This  suited  the  young  repre- 
sentative ;  and  the  upshot  of  the  matter  was  that  the 
cargo,  instead  of  going  to  a  Russian  port,  was  sold 
to  the  Japanese  Government  at  a  price  considerably 
above  the  ordinary  market  value. 

Gilbert  Pennington  was  enthusiastic  about  joining 
the  Japanese  army  for  a  campaign  in  Manchuria 
and  he  imparted  a  large  share  of  this  enthusiasm  to 
Ben  Russell.  As  a  result  both  enlisted  and  became 
captains  in  a  special  command,  under  a  Major 


LARRY    AND    HIS    FRIENDS  7 

Okopa,  who  could  speak  very  good  English.  The 
part  of  the  army  to  which  they  were  assigned  landed 
at  Chinampo,  in  Korea,  and  in  the  second  volume  of 
this  series,  called  "  Under  the  Mikado's  Flag,"  I 
related  the  particulars  of  the  crossing  of  the  Yalu 
River  and  of  the  many  skirmishes  and  battles  leading 
up  to  the  terrific  ten-days'  contest  before  Liao  Yang. 
During  these  fights  Ben  and  Gilbert  did  their  full 
duty  as  officers,  and  when  the  Russians  retreated  to 
the  North  both  were  well  content  to  take  a  much- 
needed  rest.  But  additional  struggles  were  still  in 
store  for  them,  as  will  be  learned  in  the  pages  which 
follow. 

At  first  Larry  Russell  had  been  inclined  to  follow 
his  brother  and  his  friend  Gilbert  into  the  Japanese 
army.  But  Captain  Ponsberry  did  not  wish  to 
lose  his  services  as  a  second  mate,  and  when  it  was 
decided  that  the  Columbia  should  make  a  quick  run 
to  Manila  and  back,  for  another  cargo  for  the  Jap- 
anese Government,  he  made  up  his  mind  to  stick  to 
the  ship. 

The  run  to  Manila  from  Nagasaki  was  made 
without  special  incident,  and,  once  at  the  main  sea- 
port of  the  Philippines,  Captain  Ponsberry  lost  no 
time  in  getting  on  board  the  cargo  the  Richmond 
Importing  Company  had  ready  for  him.  The 
cargo  was  a  valuable  one  and  it  was  calculated  that 


AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

if  rightly  sold  it  would  yield  the  company  a  profit 
of  five  or  six  thousand  dollars. 

"  You  have  got  to  take  care  and  not  run  into  any 
Russian  warship,"  said  the  agent  of  the  company  at 
Manila.  "  If  you  do  you  may  have  a  whole  lot  of 
trouble  in  explaining  matters  to  the  Russian  com- 
mander's satisfaction.  I  see  by  the  reports  that  the 
Russians  have  already  held  up  several  English  and 
South  American  ships." 

"  I  shall  keep  a  sharp  lookout  for  *em,"  was  Cap- 
tain Ponsberry's  reply. 

"And  another  thing,  Captain,"  went  on  the 
agent,  in  a  lower  tone ;  "  you  want  to  watch  your 
crew." 

"  What  do  you  mean?  " 

"  I  don't  like  the  looks  of  two  or  three  of  them. 
For  all  you  know  they  may  be  more  than  willing 
to  expose  you — if  you  fall  in  with  the  Russians. 
Can  you  trust  your  first  and  second  mates  ?  " 

"  I  can !    They  are  as  honest  as  myself." 

"  Then  caution  them  to  keep  an  eye  on  the  hands. 
One  of  those  fellows  looks  like  a  Russian  to  me — 
the  chap  with  the  heavy  black  beard." 

"  You  mean  Semmel.  He  says  he  is  a  Pole  and 
that  he  hates  the  Russians." 

"  Humph !  Well,  I  saw  him  talking  to  a  lot  of 
Russians  night  before  last.  And  when  they  passed 


LARRY   AND   HIS   FRIENDS  9 

a  Jap  the  whole  crowd  jeered  at  the  little  brown 
man." 

"Semmel,  too?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Then  I  shall  watch  him,"  answered  Captain 
Ponsberry,  decidedly. 

"  Do,  but  don't  let  him  know  it.  Some  of  these 
foreign  sailors  are  ugly  when  they  find  out  they  are 
being  suspected." 

"  Trust  me  to  manage  him,"  returned  the  com- 
mander of  the  Columbia;  and  there  the  talk  on  the 
subject  came  to  an  end. 


CHAPTER  II 

A   STORM    ON    THE   PACIFIC 

LARRY  found  Captain  Ponsberry  working  over  a 
chart  on  the  cabin  table,  laying  out  the  course  of  the 
ship.  The  commander  of  the  Columbia  was  a  bluff, 
hearty  individual  and  he  and  the  young  second  mate 
thought  a  great  deal  of  each  other. 

"  Well,  what  is  it?  "  asked  the  captain,  looking  up 
quickly. 

"  I  came  to  report  that  a  storm  is  coming  up  from 
the  west,"  answered  Larry. 

"  Humph !  I  was  afraid  we'd  catch  it  sooner  or 
later.  Is  it  close  up  yet  ?  " 

"  It's  coming  up  pretty  fast." 

Captain  Ponsberry  said  no  more,  but  threw  down 
his  parallel  rulers  and  his  pencil.  Catching  up  his 
cap,  he  mounted  to  the  deck,  and  the  young  second 
mate  followed  at  his  heels.  The  captain  gave  a  long 
look  to  the  westward  and  then  a  gaze  around  the  re- 
mainder of  the  horizon. 

"  Tell  Cal  Vincent  to  call  all  hands  to  shorten 
sail !  "  he  called  out  to  Larry.  "  Tell  'em  to  tumble 

10 


A   STORM    ON   THE    PACIFIC  II. 

up  quick,  too — thet  storm  ain't  none  too  far  off  for 
comfort ! " 

Larry  passed  the  word  to  Cal  Vincent,  who  was 
ther  boatswain  of  the  Columbia,  and  soon  the  whistle 
piped  up  shrilly,  and  those  who  were  below  or  in  the 
forecastle,  came  on  deck  in  a  hurry.  Already  the 
wind  was  freshening,  ruffling  up  the  whitecaps  in 
all  directions.  The  sky,  that  had  been  so  blue  a 
short  while  before,  became  leaden,  and  the  depths  of 
the  ocean  took  on  a  somber  hue.  The  barometer 
indicated  a  great  and  immediate  change. 

"  Lay  aloft  there,  men !  "  cried  Captain  Pons- 
berry.  "  Our  sails  are  mostly  new  and  we  don't 
want  them  ripped  up  if  we  can  help  it.  Skip  along 
there,  Peterson !  "  The  latter  words  to  a  big  sailor 
who  was  moving  across  the  deck  at  a  snail's  pace. 

The  sailor  addressed,  scowled.  It  was  not  his 
watch  on  deck  and  he  hated  to  have  his  midday  nap 
disturbed. 

"  Got  a  nail  in  ma  boot,"  he  said. 

"  Well,  haul  it  out — after  the  sails  are  trimmed," 
returned  the  captain,  and  then  turned  to  another 
hand:  "  Semmel,  what's  the  matter  with  you?" 
This  to  the  suspicious-looking  sailor  with  the  heavy 
black  beard. 

"  Nodding,"  grumbled  Semmel,  and  turned  away 
sulkily. 


12  AT   THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  Then  get  a  move  on,  or  we  may  lose  a  stick  as 
well  as  a  sail,"  and  there  followed  a  perfect  volley  of 
orders  in  a  tone  that  none  of  the  sailors  misunder- 
stood. Up  to  the  yards  they  crawled  like  so  many 
monkeys,  and  soon  the  creaking  of  halyard  blocks 
was  heard,  as  the  topsails  came  down.  The  jib  and 
flying  jib  were  also  taken  in,  and  a  little  later  the 
main-course  and  the  mizzen-course. 

"  Reckon  we  can  stand  the  fore-course  for  a  little 
while  longer,"  said  Captain  Ponsberry  to  Tom 
Grandon.  "  What  do  you  think  ?  " 

"  We  can,  unless  it  comes  quicker  nor  it  is  coming 
now,"  returned  the  first  mate. 

"  Well,  keep  an  eye  on  the  wind  and  reef  her  as 
soon  as  it  begins  to  look  nasty,"  said  Captain  Pons- 
berry, and  returned  to  the  cabin,  to  finish  his  nautical 
calculations. 

The  Columbia  had  left  the  last  of  the  Philippines 
behind  and  was  headed  north  through  the  China  Sea 
toward  the  lower  extremity  of  Formosa.  She  was 
not  as  new  a  ship  as  when  Larry  had  first  boarded 
her  at  Honolulu,  for  since  that  time  she  had  seen  half 
a  dozen  years  of  hard  service.  But  Captain  Pons- 
berry was  a  careful  man  and  believed  in  making  re- 
pairs as  soon  as  they  were  needed,  so  there  was  small 
danger  of  her  opening  her  seams  or  going  to  pieces 
even  in  the  stiffest  of  blows.  She  leaked  a  little — 


A   STORM    ON    THE    PACIFIC  1 3 

the  best  of  ships  do  that — but  a  short  pumping 
every  morning  kept  the  water  at  the  bottom  of  the 
well. 

As  second  mate,  it  was  Larry's  duty  to  see  that 
everything  on  the  deck  was  "  ship-shape,"  and  this 
was  especially  necessary  when  a  storm  was  coming 
up.  He  made  a  tour  of  the  ship,  his  keen  eyes  tak- 
ing in  every  detail. 

As  it  happened,  an  hour  before  he  had  set  the 
sailor  Semmel  to  work  stowing  away'some  odds  and 
ends  of  rope.  He  had  supposed  that  this  task  was 
long  since  finished,  but  now  he  found  the  ropes  scat- 
tered about  as  before. 

"  See  here,  Semmel,"  he  called  out,  "  why  didn't 
you  stow  away  those  ropes  as  I  told  you  ?  " 

"  Stow  dem  avay  in  a  leetle  vile,"  answered  the 
sailor  with  the  heavy  beard. 

"  You'll  stow  them  away  now,"  returned  Larry, 
sharply.  He  did  not  at  all  fancy  the  manner  of  the 
hand  he  was  addressing.  "  I  told  you  to  do  it  an 
hour  ago.  We  don't  want  anything  loose  on  deck 
when  this  storm  hits  us." 

"  Vincent  kicked  de  ropes  out  dare,"  growled 
Semmel.  "  I  had  nodding  to  do  mit  'em." 

"  That  isn't  here  or  there.  I  told  you  to  stow 
them  away,  and  I  want  you  to  do  it.  If  you  don't, 
I'll  have  to  report  you  to  the  captain." 


14  AT  THE   FALL  OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  Oh,  I  do  him ! "  grumbled  Semmel,  but  he 
glared  at  Larry  as  if  he  wished  to  chew  the  young 
second  mate  up.  "  You  put  all  dare  vork  on  me, 
hey?  "  he  added,  after  a  pause. 

"  You've  got  to  do  your  share  of  it." 

"  Humph ! "  Semmel  seemed  on  the  point  of 
saying  more,  but  shut  his  teeth  and  began  to  arrange 
the  ropes  in  proper  order.  Larry  watched  him  for 
a  moment  and  then  walked  away.  As  soon  as  his 
back  was  turned  the  sailor  shook  his  fist  at  the  young 
second  mate. 

"  You  vait !  "  he  muttered.  "  Chust  vait,  you 
Jankee  rat ! " 

The  sky  kept  growing  darker,  and  soon  came  a 
puff  of  wind  much  heavier  than  any  that  had  gone 
before.  The  Columbia  had  been  moving  over  the 
waves  on  an  even  keel,  but  now  she  gave  a  sudden 
lurch  to  starboard. 

"  Reckon  it's  time  to  take  them  reefs  in  the  fore- 
course,"  said  Grandon  to  Larry,  and  soon  the  sailors 
were  at  work  on  the  sheets,  leaving  just  sufficient 
canvas  up  to  make  the  schooner  mind  her  helm.  It 
was  hard  work,  for  the  sudden  gusts  made  the  sail 
snap  and  crack  like  a  whip. 

So  far  it  had  not  rained  a  drop,  but  now  came  a 
sudden  downpour,  the  drops  "  as  big  as  hen's  eggs," 
to  use  Luke  Striker's  manner  of  describing  them. 


A   STORM    ON   THE    PACIFIC  15 

Th«i  came  a  flash  of  lightning  out  of  the  western 
sky,  followed  by  a  rumble  of  thunder. 

"  This  is  going  to  be  an  old-time  storm,"  was 
Larry's  comment,  as  he  met  Luke  Striker  near  the 
forecastle.  "  I'll  have  to  get  my  oilskin  out." 

Luke  already  had  his  raincoat  on  and  soon  the 
young  mate  was  similarly  provided.  Wind  and 
rain  were  increasing,  and  presently  there  came  a 
flash  of  lightning  and  a  clap  of  thunder  that  made 
everybody  jump.  The  thunder  brought  Captain 
Ponsberry  to  the  deck  in  a  hurry. 

"Did  that  hit  us?"  he  questioned,  looking 
around  anxiously. 

"  No,  sir,  but  it  was  pretty  close,"  replied  Gran- 
don. 

"  Is  everything  secure  ?  "  went  on  the  commander, 
to  Larry. 

"  Yes,  sir." 

It  was  difficult  to  converse  further,  for  the  wind 
was  now  whistling  through  the  rigging,  driving  the 
rain  in  sheets  across  the  deck.  All  had  to  hold  fast 
for  fear  of  being  swept  overboard.  On  every  side 
the  sea  was  lashing  itself  into  a  foam  and  the  waves 
were  growing  higher  and  higher.  At  one  instant 
the  Columbia  would  seem  to  be  riding  on  top  of  a 
mountain,  the  next  she  would  sink  down  and  down 
into  the  trough  of  the  sea. 


16  AT   THE   FALL  OF   PORT   ARTHUR 

"  Well,  Larry,  how  do  you  like  this?  "  questioned 
Captain  Ponsberry,  as  he  took  a  position  beside  the 
second  mate. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  mind  it  at  all,"  was  the  cheery 
answer.  "  I  used  to  mind  the  storms,  but  I've  got 
used  to  them." 

"  This  isn't  a  plaything  we  are  getting." 

"  Oh,  I  know  that — you  can  see  it  by  the  way  the 
wind  is  driving  us.  But  we  are  not  near  any  land, 
are  we?" 

"  No." 

"  Then  we'll  be  sure  to  outride  it.  I  feel  I 
can  bank  on  the  old  Columbia  for  almost  any- 
thing." 

At  this  Captain  Ponsberry  laid  an  affectionate 
hand  on  his  second  mate's  shoulder. 

"  Reckon  you  love  the  old  craft  about  as  well  as  I 
do,"  he  said. 

"  I  don't  know  about  that — you've  been  on  board 
so  many  more  years  than  myself.  But  to  me  she  is 
a  second  home." 

"  I  see.  Well,  let  us  hope  we  get  through  with 
this  trip  in  safety." 

"Don't  you  imagine  we'll  do  it?"  questioned 
Larry,  quickly. 

"  Certainly.  But  you  must  remember  that  we 
may  have  trouble  if  we  fall  in  with  any  Russian  war- 


A   STORM    ON    THE   PACIFIC  1 7 

ship."  Captain  Ponsberry  lowered  his  voice.  "  Did 
you  have  trouble  with  Semmel  ?  " 

"  A  little.  I  ordered  him  to  coil  up  some  ropes 
and  he  didn't  obey  me  right  away.  But  he  stowed 
them  away  afterwards." 

Captain  Ponsberry  drew  a  long  breath.  "The 
more  I  see  of  that  chap  the  less  I  like  him." 

"  I  never  liked  him  from  the  start,"  answered 
Larry,  frankly.  "  But  you'll  have  to  give  him  credit 
for  being  a  good  all-round  sailor." 

"  There  is  no  doubt  but  what  he  is  that,  Larry. 
But  he  has  a  bad  eye." 

"  What  do  you  think  he  could  do  to  harm 
us?" 

"  Nothing — unless  we  fell  in  with  a  Russian  war- 
ship. In  that  case,  if  he  was  a  Russian  sympathizer, 
he  might  expose  the  fact  that  while  we  are  carrying 
a  cargo  for  the  Richmond  Importing  Company  the 
goods  are  really  meant  for  the  Japanese  Govern- 
ment." 

"Does  he  know  that?" 

"  I'm  not  sure,  one  way  or  the  other.  What  lam 
afraid  of  is,  that  he  may  know  a  good  bit  more  nor 
we  suspect." 

"  I  see."  The  young  second  mate  mused  for  a 
moment.  "  I'll  tell  you  what  I'd  do,  if  I  thought  he 
was  going  to  play  me  foul — and  we  fell  in  with  a 


18  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

Russian  warship.  I'd  clap  him  below  decks,  out  of 
sight  until  the  warship  went  on  her  way  again." 

"  That's  easily  said ;  but  I  can't  make  him  a  pris- 
oner unless  I  can  prove  something  against  him." 

"  You  can  lock  him  up  if  he  is  sulky  and  won't 
obey  orders." 

"  Yes,  that  is  true.     Still Phew !  " 

The  captain  broke  off  short,  for  a  vivid  streak  of 
lightning  flared  all  over  the  upper  masts  of  the  ship. 
The  thunder-clap  was  as  sharp  as  it  was  deafening, 
and  for  the  moment  all  on  board  thought  the  Co- 
lumbia had  surely  been  struck.  Then  came  a  down- 
pour which  made  even  the  boldest  of  the  sailors  seek 
shelter. 

"  That  was  closer  than  I  like,"  was  Larry's  com- 
ment, after  it  was  ascertained  that  the  ship  was  un- 
harmed. 

"  'Most  knocked  me  overboard,"  came  from  Luke 
Striker.  "  Gosh !  reckon  my  hair's  singed,"  and  he 
put  up  his  hand  and  ran  his  fingers  through  his 
grayish  locks.  "  Don't  want  another  like  thet  no- 
how!" 

A  few  minutes  later  came  another  flash  of  light- 
ning, but  this  was  to  the  eastward,  showing  that  the 
center  of  the  storm  had  passed  them.  The  wind  was 
apparently  going  down,  but  the  sea  was  as  angry  as 
ever  and  would  be  for  hours  to  come. 


A   STORM    ON    THE   PACIFIC  19 

Luke  had  retired  to  the  forecastle  with  several 
other  sailors.  Larry's  watch  on  deck  was  also  at  an 
end,  and  he  was  just  on  the  point  of  going  below, 
when  from  the  west  came  a  curious  humming  sound 
which  made  the  young  second  mate  pause.  The 
humming  increased,  and  then  of  a  sudden  the 
Columbia  was  caught  in  a  hurricane  blast  that  threw 
her  far  over  on  her  side. 

"  Help ! "  Larry  heard,  in  the  voice  of  Captain 
Ponsberry.  "  Somebody  help  me,  quick,  or  I'll  go 
overboard  1 " 


CHAPTER  III 

LARRY  LEARNS  SOMETHING 

THE  accident  which  had  happened  to  Captain  Nat 
Pon  sherry  was  certainly  a  curious  one,  although 
similar  to  that  which  once  cost  the  life  of  a  young 
officer  in  our  navy. 

When  the  hurricane  blast  reached  the  Columbia, 
the  captain  was  in  the  act  of  slipping  on  a  lined  rain- 
coat,— a  big  affair,  with  long  sleeves  and  an  extra 
high  collar.  One  arm  was  in  the  coat  and  the  other 
was  going  down  the  sleeve  when  it  caught  in  the  lin- 
ing. At  that  instant  the  shock  threw  the  captain 
across  the  deck  and  almost  over  the  railing.  He 
caught  at  the  railing  with  his  free  hand,  but  his  other 
hand  remained  a  prisoner  in  the  coat  sleeve,  while 
the  garment  itself  stuck  in  a  bunch  across  his 
shoulders. 

"  Help !  "  he  roared  again.  He  tried  to  pull  him- 
self up,  and  to  free  the  hand  in  the  sleeve,  but  found 
both  impossible. 

Larry  did  not  wait  for  a  second  cry  for  assistance. 
He  knew  the  captain  so  well  that  he  felt  the  officer 

20 


21 

would  only  call  when  in  dire  peril.  He  ran  out  on 
the  slippery  deck  in  double-quick  order. 

"  Hullo,  where  are  you?  "  he  yelled. 

"Here!    Help!" 

The  young  second  mate  caught  sight  of  the  cap- 
tain not  a  moment  too  soon.  Another  lurch  of  the 
Columbia  had  thrown  him  completely  over  the  rail, 
and  there  he  clung  with  one  hand,  while  the  spray 
was  flying  all  over  him. 

Not  waiting  to  count  the  possible  cost,  Larry 
slid  rather  than  ran  to  the  rail.  Years  before  he 
had  learned  a  trick  which  now  stood  him  in  good 
stead.  He  wound  his  legs  around  the  under  rail, 
catching  the  upper  one  with  his  left  hand.  Then 
he  clutched  Captain  Ponsberry  by  the  tangled-up 
arm. 

"On  deck  there!"  he  yelled.  "Throw  a  rope 
this  way,  and  hurry  up  about  it !  " 

"  What's  the  trouble?  "  came  from  Tom  Grandon, 
who  had  been  in  another  part  of  the  ship  and  had 
not  heard  the  captain's  cry. 

"  The  captain  is  almost  overboard.  Throw  us  a 
rope." 

Tom  Grandon  was  quick  to  act.  The  rope  came 
whizzing  toward  Larry,  and  in  a  twinkling  he  had  it 
around  his  body  and  also  around  the  captain. 

"  Haul  in  1 "  he  called,  and  Grandon  and  two 


sailors  did  so.  Over  the  rail  came  Captain  Pons- 
berry,  still  fighting  to  release  the  tangled-up  arm. 
In  a  moment  more  all  danger  was  past. 

"  Well,  how  in  the  world  did  this  happen  ?  "  ques- 
tioned Grandon. 

"  Tell  ye — soon  as  I  can  git  free  o'  this  consarned 
coat !  "  spluttered  Captain  Ponsberry,  and  he  gave 
the  garment  a  jerk  that  ripped  one  of  the  sleeves 
completely  in  half.  "  Did  ye  ever  see  sech  foolish- 
ness ?  "  he  added.  And  then  he  told  how  the  lurch 
of  the  ship  had  carried  him  over  the  rail  just  when  he 
could  use  but  one  hand.  "  After  this  I  reckon  I'll 
put  on  my  coat  afore  I  go  on  deck,"  he  concluded. 

"  It  was  a  lucky  thing  that  Larry  heard  you  cry 
out,"  said  the  first  mate.  "  I  was  at  the  wheel, 
helping  Groot." 

"  That's  right,  Tom."  The  captain  turned  to  the 
youth.  "  Larry,  you're  a  brave  one,  and  always 
was.  I  ain't  going  to  forget  this ! " 

"  Oh,  don't  say  anything  about  it,"  came  from  the 
young  second  mate,  modestly.  "  I  know  you'd  do 
as  much  for  me,  if  I  needed  it." 

"  Well,  I  would,  an'  there's  my  hand  on  it,"  cried 
Captain  Ponsberry,  heartily,  and  gave  Larry  a  grip 
that  made  him  wince. 

The  storm  kept  up  for  the  remainder  of  the  day. 
But  its  worst  fury  was  spent,  and  during  the  night 


LARRY    LEARNS   SOMETHING  2J 

the  wind  went  down  to  nothing  more  than  a  stiff 
breeze,  which  was  just  what  was  wanted.  All  of 
the  sails  were  again  set;  and  the  schooner  resumed 
her  course  as  before. 

Before  leaving  Manila  Larry  had  purchased  a 
number  of  newspapers  printed  in  that  city  in  Eng- 
lish. So  far  he  had  had  no  chance  to  look  the 
sheets  over,  but  now  came  two  days  in  which  there 
was  little  to  do,  and  he  spent  several  hours  in  de- 
vouring the  news,  while  he  also  let  his  friend  Luke 
do  some  reading. 

"  Tell  ye  what,  this  'ere  war  between  Russia  and 
Japan  is  goin'  to  be  a  big  thing,"  said  Luke,  after 
reading  an  account  of  the  first  fights  on  land  and  on 
sea.  "  It  ain't  goin'  to  be  no  such  short  affair  as  our 
little  rumpus  in  Cuby." 

"  You  are  right,  Luke ;  this  war  is  going  to  be  a 
long  and  bitter  one." 

"  Who  is  goin'  to  win,  do  you  think  ?  "    •     . 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know.  Russia  is  a  vast 
country,  with  millions  of  people  and  with  an  im- 
mense army  and  navy.  I  suppose  she  can  put  five 
times  as  many  men  in  the  field  as  Japan  can." 

"  But  them  Japs  know  how  to  fight." 

"  Indeed  they  do — they  have  proved  that  already. 
And  what  is  to  their  advantage,  they  are  closer  to 
Korea  and  Manchuria  than  Russia  is.  They  can  get 


24  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

on  the  fighting  ground  quicker, — which  counts  for 
a  good  deal." 

"  How  those  Russians  must  have  been  astonished 
when  the  Japanese  warships  sailed  into  'em  at  Port 
Arthur  last  February.  I  don't  believe  they  were  ex- 
pecting an  attack." 

"  Hardly,  for  war  had  just  been  declared.  But 
you  wouldn't  have  caught  Uncle  Sam  napping  like 
that,  Luke." 

"  Right  ye  are,  lad ;  it  ain't  his  style.  An'  then  to 
see  how  them  Japs  have  been  a-blowin'  up  the  Rus- 
sian warships  ever  since.  They  must  have  a  fine 
navy." 

"  Yes,  and  good  gunners,  too.  I  was  told  in 
Nagasaki  that  quite  a  few  American  gunners  were 
on  their  ships — fellows  who  served  under  Dewey  at 
Manila  and  under  Sampson  and  Schley  off  Cuba." 

"  I  believe  you,  lad.  When  a  feller  gits  it  in  his 
bones  to  fight  on  a  warship  there  ain't  no  life  on  a 
merchantman  goin'  to  satisfy  him.  Some  jackies 
would  rather  fight  nor  eat — you  know  thet  as  well 
as  I  do." 

"  Well,  I  shouldn't  mind  doing  some  fighting 
myself.  You  know  I  was  on  a  stand  about  going 
with  Ben  and  Gilbert  Pennington." 

"  Where  do  you  reckon  they  are  now  ?  " 

"  In  Manchuria,  I  suppose,  fighting  as  hard  as 


LARRY   LEARNS    SOMETHING  2$ 

they  can.  I  thought  I  would  get  a  letter  from  them 
before  we  left  Manila,  but  nothing  came." 

"  I  suppose  the  mails  are  all  upset,  on  account  of 
the  war,"  put  in  Cal  Vincent,  who  sat  nearby,  sewing 
a  button  on  his  shirt.  "  If  you'll  remember,  Naga- 
saki was  in  a  big  state  of  excitement  while  we  were 
there  last." 

"  Did  they  say  anything  about  any  Russian  war- 
ships bein'  in  these  parts  ?  "  questioned  Luke. 

"  No." 

"  It  would  be  strange  if  we  did  fall  in  with  them." 

"  Which  puts  me  in  mind,"  came  from  the  boat- 
swain, and  then  he  gazed  around  to  see  if  any  other 
persons  were  near.  "  Semmel  says  he  ain't  no  Rus- 
sian, but  it's  dollars  to  doughnuts  he  is,"  he  con- 
tinued, in  a  lowered  tone. 

"  Have  you  discovered  anything  new  ? "  de- 
manded Larry. 

"  Yes  and  no.  Last  night  I  overheard  him  and 
Peterson  talking  in  a  suspicious  kind  of  a  way.  I 
didn't  catch  much,  for  they  talked  partly  in  English 
and  partly  in  a  foreign  language.  But  I  am  sure 
they  are  favoring  Russia,  and  Semmel  said  some- 
thing about  doing  something  to  harm  Japan." 

"  I  don't  see  how  they  could  do  anything  on  board 
of  this  ship,"  came  from  Luke. 

"  You  didn't  hear  anything  definite?  " 


20  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  Can't  say  that  I  did,"  answered  the  boatswain. 

"  We  had  better  watch  them  closer  than  ever." 

"  All  right ;  I'll  do  my  share,"  responded  Vincent, 
and  Luke  Striker  said  the  same. 

That  very  afternoon  Larry  had  another  quarrel 
with  the  sailor  with  the  long  beard.  Semmel  had  a 
bucket  of  dirty  water  which  he  was  carrying  to  the 
ship's  side.  As  Larry  passed  he  pretended  to  stub 
his  toe  and  allowed  some  of  the  dirty  water  to  flow 
over  the  young  second  mate's  foot. 

"  Semmel,  what  did  you  do  that  for  ? "  cried 
Larry,  indignantly. 

"  Canno  help  dat,"  said  the  sailor.     "  I  slip." 

"  You  did  it  on  purpose !  " 

"  Oh,  no !  "     And  the  sailor  grinned  wickedly. 

*'  I  say  you  did.  If  you  try  anything  like  that 
again,  I'll  make  it  warm  for  you.  Get  a  swab  and 
clean  the  deck  up  at  once !  " 

As  Semmel  sauntered  off,  and  while  Larry  was 
stamping  the  water  from  his  shoe,  Captain  Pons- 
berry  came  up.  He  had  seen  the  trick  played  from  a 
distance. 

"  What  did  you  tell  Semmel  ?  "  he  questioned, 
sharply. 

"  Told  him  to  swab  the  deck  up.  I  think  he 
slopped  the  dirty  water  over  me  on  purpose." 

"  Just  my  idea  of  it.     I'll  tell  him  what  I  think  of 


LARRY    LEARNS    SOMETHING  2/ 

it."  And  striding  after  the  bearded  sailor  Captain 
Ponsberry  gave  him  a  lecture  not  to  be  readily  for- 
gotten. 

"  I  won't  have  any  of  your  dirty  underhanded 
work  aboard  of  my  ship,"  he  concluded.  "  Either 
you'll  behave  yourself,  or  I'll  put  you  in  irons." 

"*In  irons ! "  ejaculated  Semmel,  scowling 
viciously. 

"  That  is  what  I  said  and  that  is  what  I  mean. 
Ever  since  you  came  on  board  you  have  been  acting 
in  this  same  dirty  fashion  and  I  want  it  stopped. 
Now  swab  up  that  deck,  and  see  that  you  make  a 
first-class  job  of  it.  For  two  pins  I'd  make  you 
black  Russell's  shoes." 

"  No  black  nobody's  shoes,"  growled  Semmel,  but 
in  such  a  low  tone  that  Captain  Ponsberry  could  not 
hear  him.  He  cleaned  the  deck  in  his  own  ugly,  in- 
dependent manner,  muttering  imprecations  against 
both  Larry  and  the  captain  in  the  meantime. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  even  though  he  had  denied  it 
to  Captain  Ponsberry  and  others,  Ostag  Semmel  was 
really  a  Russian  by  birth,  having  been  born  and 
raised  in  the  seaport  of  Kolaska.  He  had  been 
drafted  into  the  army,  but  not  wishing  to  serve  under 
a  military  rule  which  is  unusually  severe,  he  had  run 
away  to  sea  and  become  a  sailor. 

Life  on  the  ocean  suited  Semmel  very  well  and  he 


28  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

would  have  remained  away  from  Russia  had  it  not 
been  for  the  fact  that  a  rich  uncle  had  died  leaving 
him  a  property  valued  at  two  thousand  dollars — a 
small  fortune  in  the  eyes  of  a  man  of  this  Russian's 
standing.  He  wished  to  go  back  to  claim  his  in- 
heritance, but  feared  to  do  so,  for  he  knew  that  once 
on  Russian  soil  he  would  be  arrested  for  desertion, 
and  might  be  sent  to  a  military  prison  for  a  great 
number  of  years. 

From  a  friend  in  Manila  he  had  heard  of  some- 
thing which  interested  him  greatly.  This  was  the 
news  that  another  deserter  from  the  Russian  army 
had  been  pardoned  for  his  offense  because  he  had 
taken  home  with  him  important  news  concerning  the 
movements  of  a  certain  Japanese  warship. 

"  If  I  could  only  do  as  well,"  he  told  himself,  over 
and  over  again,  and  then,  when  he  signed  articles  for 
the  Columbia's  trip,  he  listened  eagerly  to  some  talk 
he  overheard  about  the  ship's  cargo.  When  he  be- 
gan to  suspect  the  truth — that  the  cargo  was  meant 
for  the  Japanese  Government — his  eyes  glistened 
cunningly. 

"  If  I  can  only  let  Russia  know  of  this ! "  he 
reasoned.  "All  will  go  well  with  me.  If  I  can 
only  let  Russia  know !  " 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE   RUSSIAN    SAILOR'S    PLOT 

CAPTAIN  PONSBERRY'S  stern  manner  made  Ostag 
Semmel  wild  with  hatred,  and  when  he  went  back 
to  the  forecastle  after  swabbing  up  the  deck  he  was 
in  a  fit  mental  condition  for  almost  any  dark  deed. 

For  a  good  half -hour  he  lay  in  his  bunk  in  a 
corner,  brooding  over  his  ill-luck  and  wondering 
what  he  could  do  to  revenge  himself  upon  both  the 
master  of  the  schooner  and  Larry.  Larry  he  es- 
pecially disliked — the  very  open-heartedness  of  the 
young  second  mate  made  him  long  to  do  the  lad 
harm. 

At  the  end  of  the  half-hour  another  sailor  came  in. 
It  was  Carl  Peterson,  his  close  friend.  Peterson  was 
a  burly  tar  who  had  visited  nearly  every  quarter  of  the 
globe.  He  loved  to  drink  and  carouse,  and  was  ever 
ready  to  lend  a  hand  in  any  excitement  that  offered. 
There  was  a  rumor  that  he  had  once  led  a  mutiny  on 
a  Danish  merchant  vessel,  but  this  he  denied,  laying 
the  blame  entirely  on  others. 

"  Is  that  you,  Peterson  ?  "  demanded  Semmel,  in 


3O  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT    ARTHUR 

his  native  tongue,  for  he  knew  that  the  other  could 
speak  Russian  fluently. 

"  Yes,"  came  in  a  rough  voice  from  Peterson. 
He  gave  a  coarse  laugh.  "  A  fine  job  you  made  of 
it,  to  pour  dirty  water  over  Russell  and  then  have  to 
swab  up  the  deck  for  it." 

"Who  told  you  of  that?" 

"  Didn't  I  see  it  with  my  own  eyes — and  heard 
what  the  captain  said,  too." 

"  Bah !  It  makes  me  sick !  "  growled  Semmel. 
"  I  am  sick  of  the  ship — the  crew — everything !  " 

Peterson  gave  a  short  toss  of  his  head,  which  was 
covered  with  a  shock  of  fiery  red  hair.  "  What  are 
you  going  to  do  about  it  ?  Even  if  the  captain  treats 
you  like  a  dog,  what  shall  you  do,  Ostag  Semmel? 
He  thinks  we  are  all  curs— door  mats  to  wipe  feet 
on!" 

"  He  shall  find  out  that  I  am  neither  a  dog  nor  a 
door  mat !  "  muttered  the  bearded  Russian.  "  By 
my  right  hand  I  promise  you  that !  " 

"  Talk  is  cheap — it  takes  wind  to  make  the  mill 
go,"  answered  Peterson.  To  an  outsider  it  would 
have  been  plain  to  see  that  he  was  leading  Semmel 
on,  in  an  endeavor  to  find  out  what  was  in  his  com- 
panion's mind. 

"  It  will  not  end  in  talk." 

"  Bah !  I  have  heard  that  before." 


THE    RUSSIAN    SAILOR'S    PLOT  31 

"  I  have  been  thinking,"  went  on  Ostag  Semmel, 
slowly.  "  Can  I  trust  you  ?  " 

"  You  know  you  can." 

"  You  do  not  love  the  captain — do  not  love  that 
Russell?" 

"Do  I  act  as  if  I  did?" 

"  Good !  Now,  how  many  on  board  of  this 
ship?" 

"  Fourteen  men,  counting  in  ourselves." 

"  You  count  fairly.  Fourteen,  how  many  are  our 
friends?" 

"  Postnak  and  Conroy,  at  least." 

"  Then  we  are  four,  so  far.  Now,  what  of  Groot 
and  Shamhaven  and  Jack  Wilbur  ?  " 

"  Groot  is  a  good  fellow  and  a  man  who  wishes  to 
make  money." 

"  And  Shamhaven  will  do  almost  anything  for 
money — he  once  told  me  so.  He  took  a  sailor  suit 
from  a  store  in  Manila  without  paying  for  it." 

"  I  know  that  too.  The  tailor  was  rich  and  didn't 
need  the  money,"  and  Peterson  gave  another  coarse 
laugh. 

"  Then  we  are  six — to  stand  up  for  our  rights. 
And  Jack  Wilbur  will  make  seven — just  half  the 
number  on  the  ship." 

"  How  can  we  count  that  Wilbur  in  ?  He  is  a 
Yankee." 


32  AT   THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  He  is  a  weakling  and  we  can  manage  him, — and 
I  think  we  can  manage  some  others,  too — when  we 
get  that  far." 

"How  far  do  you  mean?"  demanded  Peterson, 
although  he  knew  about  what  was  coming. 

"  Is  anybody  else  near  here  ?  " 

"  No,"  and  Peterson  took  a  careful  look  around. 

"  Supposing  we  seize  the  ship — in  the  name  of  the 
Russian  Government  ?  They  have  a  Japanese  cargo 
on  board,  the  captain  cannot  deny  it.  We  can  take, 
the  ship,  sail  her  to  some  Russian  port,  and  win  both 
prize  money  and  glory.  Is  it  not  a  grand  scheme?  " 

"  Ha,  that  is  fine !  "  Carl  Peterson's  eyes  glowed 
voraciously.  "  Ostag,  you  are  a  man  after  my  own 
heart !  We  might  become  rich !  " 

"  Then  you  like  the  plan?  " 

"  Yes — providing  we  can  make  it  work.  But  it  is 
a  big  undertaking.  If  we  were  caught  we  might 
swing  from  a  yardarm  for  it." 

"  We  can  make  it  work — I  have  another  plan  for 
that.  I  have  thought  it  out  completely.  We  can — 
but  more  later,"  and  Ostag  Semmel  broke  off 
abruptly,  as  several  sailors  entered  the  forecastle. 
A  little  later  he  began  to  complain  in  broken  English 
to  a  sailor  named  Jack  Wilbur  that  he  was  suffering 
from  a  severe  stomach  ache. 

"  Sorry  to  hear  on  it,"  said  Wilbur,  who  was  a 


THE    RUSSIAN    SAILOR'S    PLOT  33 

very  mild  foremast  hand.  "Anything  I  can  do 
for  you  ?  " 

"  I  dink  not,"  answered  Semmel.  "  I  dink  de 
poor  grub  ve  git  mak  me  feel  pad." 

"  Didn't  notice  that  the  grub  was  poor,"  answered 
Wilbur. 

"  Very  poor — not  so  goot  as  py  my  las'  ship," 
answered  Semmel.  "  Some  grub  here  not  fit  to 
eat." 

It  was  soon  noised  around  that  Semmel  was  not 
feeling  well  and  that  he  had  complained  that  the 
food  dealt  out  at  noontime  had  made  him  sick.  As 
soon  as  Captain  Ponsberry  heard  of  this  he  went  to 
interview  Jeff,  the  colored  cook,  who,  as  of  old,  was 
singing  gayly  to  himself  among  the  pots  and  pans 
of  the  ship's  galley. 

"Wasn't  nuffin 'de  mattah  wid  dat  grub,  Cap'n 
Ponsberry,"  exclaimed  Jeff,  after  hearing  what  the 
commander  of  the  ship  had  to  say.  "  It  was  jess 
as  good  as  we  always  has." 

"  Was  it  thoroughly  cooked  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sah — I  don't  'low  nuffin  to  go  from  dis 
yere  galley  'less  it  am  well  cooked." 

"  Are  your  pots  and  kettles  clean  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sah — yo'  can  see  fo'  yourself,  sah." 

The  captain  did  see,  and  moreover  he  knew  that 
Jeff  was  usually  a  careful  and  conscientious  culinary 


34  AT   THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

artist  who  always  gave  the  men  the  best  his  stock 
afforded. 

"  Well,  be  careful  of  what  you  cook  and  how  you 
cook  it  after  this,"  said  Captain  Ponsberry. 

"  Would  yo'  mind  tellin'  me,  sah,  who  is  kick- 
ing, sah  ?  "  asked  Jeff,  respectfully. 

"  Semmel  says  he  was  made  sick  by  what  he  ate." 

"  Huh,  dat  scab !  "  grunted  Jeff.  "  He  ain't  no 
'count  at  all,  he  ain't !  "  And  the  cook  turned  away 
in  disgust. 

"  It  looks  to  me  as  if  Semmel  was  trying  to  make 
trouble  all  around,"  said  Tom  Grandon,  when  he 
and  the  captain  and  Larry  talked  the  matter  over. 

"  I  never  liked  that  man  from  the  first  time  I 
clapped  eyes  on  him,"  came  from  Larry.  "  He's  a 
sneak — and  worse." 

"  I  shall  watch  him  pretty  closely  after  this," 
said  Captain  Ponsberry.  "  One  discontented  fel- 
low  like  him  can  upset  the  whole  ship  if  he  sets  out 
to  do  it." 

"  They  can't  complain  of  the  grub,"  went  on  the 
first  mate.  "  It's  as  good  as  on  any  merchantman, 
and  better  than  the  law  requires." 

"  I  guess  it  was  the  deck-swabbing  that  gave  him 
the  stomach  ache,"  said  Larry,  and  this  made  the 
captain  and  Grandon  smile. 

The  next  day  when  the  sailors  sat  down  to  their 


THE    RUSSIAN    SAILOR'S    PLOT  35 

dinner  two  or  three  of  them  sniffed  suspiciously  at 
the  food  they  were  eating. 

"  This  don't  taste  just  right  to  me,"  said  Sham- 
haven.  "  The  meat  tastes  decayed." 

"  And  the  vegetables  ain't  much  better,"  put  in 
Conroy, — a  sturdy  Irish-American,  who  was  one  of 
the  best  seamen  on  the  schooner. 

"  Dat  dinner  am  fust-class,"  cried  Jeff.  "  I  ain't 
gwine  to  stand  yere  an'  see  you  growlin'  at  it." 

"  It  certainly  tastes  a  bit  off,  Jeff,"  put  in  Jack 
Wilbur.  "  Taste  it  yourself." 

The  cook  did  so,  and  his  face  looked  doubtful 
for  a  moment. 

"  Guess  dat  needs  a  little  salt  an'  pepper,"  he  said, 
slowly.  It  did  not  taste  nearly  as  good  as  he  had 
anticipated. 

As  there  was  nothing  else  to  do,  and  they  were 
hungry,  the  men  ate  the  meal,  grumbling  to  them- 
selves as  they  did  so.  Luke  said  but  little  and  ate 
sparingly,  and  his  example  was  followed  by  Cal 
Vincent. 

The  captain,  Grandon,  and  Larry  ate  in  the  cabin 
and  the  dinner  served  to  them  was  first-class  in 
every  particular. 

"  Guess  Jeff  is  spreading  himself,  just  to  show 
what  he  can  do,"  remarked  Larry  to  the  first  mate, 
after  he  had  finished  his  repast. 


36  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  It's  very  good,  Larry,"  answered  Tom  Grandon. 

By  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  three  of  the  men 
were  complaining  of  feeling  sick  and  all  attributed 
their  ailments  to  what  they  had  eaten  for  dinner. 

"  Ha!  vat  I  tole  you?  "  cried  Semmel.  "  Didn't 
I  say  de  grub  vos  pad  ?  Not  maybe  you  belief  me, 
hey?" 

"  I  shan't  stand  for  any  more  poor  grub,"  came 
from  Shamhaven.  "  If  I  can't  get  good  stuff  I'm 
going  to  the  captain  about  it." 

The  sickness  of  the  hands  worried  Captain  Pons- 
berry  greatly  and  he  opened  up  his  medicine  chest  and 
gave  them  such  remedies  as  he  thought  were  best. 

At  supper  time  Jeff  was  extra  cautious  in  selecting 
and  preparing  the  food.  Nevertheless,  the  men  who 
ate  of  it  were  suspicious  and  more  than  half  the 
meal  went  to  waste.  The  captain  was  very  thought- 
ful, but  said  little  or  nothing. 

On  the  following  day  the  wind  died  down  utterly 
and  it  was  exceedingly  warm.  With  nothing  to  do, 
the  majority  of  the  hands  gathered  at  the  bow  to 
talk  of  matters  in  general,  and  the  food  in  particular. 
Semmel  and  Peterson  were  of  the  number,  and  both 
did  all  in  their  power  to  magnify  the  outrage,  as 
they  termed  it. 

"  Der  captain  don't  haf  any  right  to  gif  us  such 
grub,"  said  Semmel.  "  It  vos  against  der  law." 


THE    RUSSIAN    SAILOR  S    PLOT  37 

"  On  some  ships  there  would  be  a  mutiny  over 
this,"  added  Peterson. 

Larry  overheard  a  part  of  the  conversation  and 
it  set  him  thinking.  Luke  Striker  also  grew  sus- 
picious. 

"  Unless  I  am  mistaken,  this  is  some  of  Semmel's 
work,"  said  Larry  to  the  old  tar.  "  He  is  doing  his 
level  best  to  make  trouble  on  the  ship." 

"  Well,  he  better  mind  his  business,"  grumbled 
Luke.  "  I  don't  reckon  the  captain  will  stand  fer 
any  underhanded  work." 

Without  appearing  to  do  so,  Larry  continued  to 
keep  his  eyes  on  Semmel,  and  about  an  hour  before 
dinner  he  saw  the  bearded  sailor  approach  the  cook's 
galley  and  look  inside.  Jeff  was  below,  getting  a 
case  of  canned  goods.  With  a  swift  movement, 
Semmel  stepped  into  the  galley,  raised  the  lid  of  a 
big  pot  full  of  stew  that  was  on  the  stove,  and 
sprinkled  something  over  the  food.  Then  he  hur- 
ried out  and  sneaked  forward  once  more. 

"  The  rascal !  "  murmured  Larry.  "  So  this  is 
his  game.  I  wonder  what  he  put  into  that  pot  ?  " 

For  the  moment  the  young  second  mate  thought 
to  confront  Semmel  and  demand  an  explanation. 
Then  he  changed  his  mind  and  hurried  for  the  cabin, 
to  tell  the  news  to  Captain  Ponsberry. 


CHAPTER  V 

SIGNS   OF   A    MUTINY 

"  I'VE  found  out  something  important,  Captain 
Ponsberry,"  said  Larry,  as  he  entered  the  cabin. 
"  I  now  know  what's  the  matter  with  the  grub.'' 
To  all  salt-water  sailors  food  is  grub  and  nothing 
else. 

"  Well,  what  is  the  matter  with  it  ?  "  questioned 
the  master  of  the  Columbia,  quickly. 

"  It's  being  doctored,  that's  what's  the  matter." 

"Doctored?" 

"  Yes,  sir, — doctored  by  Semmel,  too." 

"  Will  you  explain  what  you  mean,  Larry  ?  "  de- 
manded the  captain,  intensely  interested. 

"  I  just  saw  that  rascal  go  into  the  cook's  galley. 
Jeff  wasn't  there,  and  Semmel  took  the  lid  off  of  a 
big  pot  on  the  stove  and  sprinkled  something  in- 
side." 

"  What !  "  Captain  Ponsberry  leaped  to  his  feet. 
"  Are  you  certain  of  this  ?  "  he  demanded. 

"  I  am — for  I  saw  it  with  my  own  eyes." 

"  What  was  that  stuff  he  put  into  the  pot?  " 
38 


SIGNS   OF   A   MUTINY  39 

"I  don't  know." 

"  Did  he  touch  anything  else?  " 

"  No.  He  was  in  a  tremendous  hurry  and  was- 
n't in  the  galley  more  than  a  minute  at  the  most." 

"  The  scoundrel !  "  Captain  Ponsberry  clenched 
his  fists.  "  Larry,  you  are  positive  you  are  making 
no  mistake  ?  " 

"  I  saw  the  thing  done  just  as  I  told  you.  The 
stuff  was  in  a  bit  of  white  paper.  When  he  went 
forward  he  threw  the  paper  overboard." 

"  Did  anybody  else  see  this  ?  " 

"  I  don't  think  so.     But " 

At  that  moment  came  a  knock  on  the  cabin  door 
and  Luke  Striker  appeared. 

"  Excuse  me,  sir,"  he  said,  touching  his  cap. 
"  But  I've  got  something  important  to  report." 

"What  is  it,  Striker?" 

"  I  jess  see  that  air  Semmel  go  in  and  out  o'  the 
cook's  galley." 

"  That  is  just  what  I  am  reporting!  "  cried  Larry. 
"  Did  you  see  what  he  did,  Luke  ?  " 

"  No.  He  wasn't  in  there  only  a  minit.  It 
looked  suspicious  to  me,  though — with  all  hands 
gittin'  sick  from  the  grub." 

"  This  is  all  the  evidence  I  want,"  said  Captain 
Ponsberry.  "  We'll  soon  make  an  end  of  this. 
Larry,  send  Semmel  to  me." 


4O  AT   THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

The  young  second  mate  left  the  cabin  with  Luke 
and  both  hurried  toward  the  bow,  where  Semmel 
and  Peterson  were  conversing  in  low  tones. 

"  The  captain  wants  to  see  you  at  once,"  said 
Larry  to  the  bearded  sailor. 

His  tone  was  so  sharp  it  made  Semmel  start. 

"  Vat  he  vants  ?  "  he  queried. 

"  Go  and  find  out  for  yourself." 

"  Maybe  you  git  me  in  droubles,  hey  ?  "  and  the 
bearded  sailor  scowled. 

"  I  reckon  as  how  you're  gittin'  yourself  into 
trouble,"  drawled  Luke,  dryly. 

"  You  keep  your  mouf  shut !  "  cried  Semmel.  "  I 
no  talk  to  you,  no !  " 

"  The  captain  wants  you  to  report ;  are  you  going 
to  do  so  or  not  ?  "  demanded  Larry. 

"  Sure  I  go,"  answered  Semmel,  with  a  toss  of 
his  head,  and  he  slouched  toward  the  stern.  His 
manner  was  so  aggressive  that  Larry  picked  up  a 
belaying  pin  before  following  him. 

Captain  Ponsberry  had  just  appeared  on  deck. 
He  had  armed  himself  with  a  short  club, — a  sure 
sign  to  those  who  knew  him  that  something  unusual 
was  in  the  wind.  His  face  was  stern  and  forbid- 
ding, and  all  hands  gathered  around  to  see  what 
was  the  trouble. 

"  Semmel,  I  want  to  have  a  talk  with  you,"  he 


SIGNS   OF   A    MUTINY  4! 

said,  in  a  loud  voice,  as  the  bearded  sailor  came 
up. 

To  this  the  sailor  nodded  but  did  not  answer. 

"  I  want  to  know  what  you  were  doing  in  the 
cook's  galley  a  short  while  ago." 

"  De  cook's  galley?"  The  sailor  acted  as  if  he 
was  puzzled.  "  I  no  go  by  de  galley,  captain." 

"  You  were  in  the  galley  and  you  put  something 
into  the  stew-pot.  What  was  it?  "  thundered  Cap- 
tain Ponsberry.  "  Tell  me  the  truth,  or  I  may  take 
it  into  my  head  to  break  every  bone  in  your  body !  " 
And  he  shook  his  club  in  the  sailor's  face. 

"  I  put  noddings  in  de  pot,"  cried  Semmel.  "  I 
no  go  in  de  galley — I  no  been  in  de  galley  two, 
tree  days.  It  is  a  lie !  " 

"  I  saw  you  go  in,"  came  from  Luke. 

"  And  so  did  I,"  added  Larry.  "  And  I  saw  you 
sprinkle  something  into  the  pot." 

"  What,  did  dat  good-fo'-nuffin  furiner  put  some- 
t'ing  in  ma  eatin'  ?  "  shrieked  Jeff,  who  had  come 
up.  "  Oh,— yo'— yo' " 

"  Never  mind,  Jeff,  I'll  attend  to  this,"  inter- 
rupted the  captain. 

"  Yes,  sah,  but  dat  monkey-faced " 

"  Never  mind  now — fall  back  there,"  added  the 
captain,  and  the  cook  fell  back,  but  shook  his  fist 
at  Semmel. 


42  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  I  not  in  de  galley,"  reiterated  the  bearded  sailor. 
"  Russell  an'  Striker  no  tell  de  truth." 

"  It  is  true,"  cried  Larry. 

"  Thet's  so,  an'  you  can't  squirm  out  o'  it,"  broke 
in  Luke.  "  I  saw  ye  as  plain  as  day." 

"I  want  to  know  what  you  put  into  that  stew- 
pot  ?  "  continued  Captain  Ponsberry. 

"  I  no  go  near  de  galley.     I " 

"  I  know  you  went  into  the  galley  and  I  know 
you  put  something  into  the  stew.  For  the  last  time 
I  ask  you,  what  was  it  ?  " 

For  reply  Ostag  Semmel  simply  shrugged  his 
shoulders. 

"  Are  you  going  to  tell  me  the  truth?  " 

"  I  reckon  the  truth  ain't  in  him,"  grumbled  Luke, 
under  his  breath. 

"  I  say  noddings  more,"  came  sourly  from  the 
bearded  sailor. 

"  Put  that  man  in  irons,"  commanded  Captain 
Ponsberry,  turning  quickly  to  Larry  and  Grandon. 
"  If  he  won't  talk  now,  perhaps  he'll  talk  after  he 
has  spent  a  day  in  the  brig." 

"  Vat !  you  put  me  in  irons ! "  shrieked  Semmel. 
"  You  no  got  right  to  do  dat,  no !  " 

"  Haven't  I  ?  "  answered  Captain  Ponsberry,  in  a 
voice  that  cut  like  a  whip.  "  I'd  like  to  see  anybody 
dispute  over  it.  Larry,  Tom,  do  as  I  command." 


SIGNS   OF   A   MUTINY  43 

"  Yes,  sir/'  answered  Larry,  and  ran  off  to  get 
a  pair  of  handcuffs  while  Tom  Grandon  stationed 
himself  beside  Ostag  Semmel,  belaying  pin  in  hand. 

"  You  no  mak  me  a  prisoner !  "  fumed  the  bearded 
sailor.  "  You  got  no  right !  " 

He  continued  to  rave,  saying  that  it  was  a  plot 
against  him,  because  he  had  been  the  first  to  com- 
plain about  the  vile  food  served  to  the  hands;  that 
he  had  not  been  near  the  galley  and  that  the  captain, 
Grandon,  and  Larry  knew  it.  He  even  appealed  to 
the  other  sailors  to  stand  by  him,  and  several  came 
forward  to  argue  with  Captain  Ponsberry.  But  the 
master  of  the  schooner  was  obstinate  and  would  not 
listen. 

"  I  know  what  I  am  doing,  men,"  he  said,  quickly 
but  firmly.  "  He  is  a  scoundrel  and  a  spell  in  the 
brig  will  do  him  good.  After  this  I  reckon  you'll 
find  the  grub  all  right." 

"  I  no  like "  began  Peterson,  once  more. 

"  You  shut  up,  Peterson,  or  I'll  put  you  in  the 
brig  with  Semmel,"  cut  in  the  captain,  and  Peterson 
fell  back  with  the  rest,  but  with  a  brow  that  was  dark 
and  distrustful. 

By  this  time  Larry  had  returned  with  the  hand- 
cuffs and  despite  the  resistance  he  offered,  Ostag 
Semmel  was  made  a  prisoner.  Then  the  first  and 
the  second  mates  led  him  to  the  schooner's  brig, — 


44  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

a  narrow,  V-shaped  room  in  the  bow  of  the  boat, 
usually  used  for  storing  lanterns  and  oil.  The  smell 
in  the  closet — for  it  was  nothing  else — was  far  from 
pleasant,  and  a  day  in  the  brig  usually  made  a 
prisoner  repent  and  promise  to  do  better. 

"  I  mak  trouble  for  dis !  "  growled  Semmel,  as  the 
door  was  closed  and  bolted  on  him.  "I  mak 
trouble,  yes !  You  got  no  right  to  do  dis,  no !  " 

"  And  you  haven't  any  right  to  doctor  the  grub," 
answered  Larry,  and  then  he  and  Grandon  walked 
away. 

"  That  fellow  is  a  first-class  villain,  to  my  way  of 
reasoning,"  was  the  first  mate's  comment.  "  I  be- 
lieve he'd  do  almost  anything  to  get  square  for 
this." 

After  Ostag  Semmel  had  been  placed  in  the  brig 
Captain  Ponsberry  called  all  hands  to  him  once  more 
and  related  what  Luke  and  Larry  had  seen.  The 
stew  was  inspected,  but  nothing  suspicious  could  be 
seen  about  it. 

"  If  any  of  you  want  to  try  that  stew  you  may  do 
so,"  said  the  captain.  "  Of  course,  if  Semmel  didn't 
touch  it  there  can  be  nothing  in  it  that  can  hurt  you." 
But  all,  even  to  Peterson,  declined  to  even  taste  the 
food.  It  was  one  thing  to  think  Semmel  innocent 
but  quite  another  to  run  the  risk  of  being  made  sick 
or  poisoned.  In  the  end  the  stew  was  dumped  over- 


SIGNS   OF   A    MUTINY  45 

board  and  Jeff  prepared  an  entirely  new  dinner  for 
all  hands. 

"  You  must  keep  close  watch  on  all  of  the  men," 
said  the  captain  to  Larry  and  Grandon,  when  quiet- 
ness had  been  restored.  "  Semmel  was  the  worst  of 
the  lot,  but  I  do  not  like  the  way  Peterson  and  one  or 
two  others  are  acting." 

"  I  don't  see  what  they  can  do,"  answered  Larry. 
"  They  might  start  a  mutiny,"  came  from  the  first 
mate. 

"  Would  they  dare  go  as  far  as  that  ?  " 
"  Sometimes  sailors  get  strange  notions,  and  the 
old  Harry  himself  can't  stop  them,"  said  Captain 
Ponsberry.  "  A  thing  that  in  itself  doesn't  amount 
to  much  will  start  them  off,  and  they'll  imagine  that 
everything  is  going  wrong.  When  I  was  a  lad,  on 
board  the  Mary  Eliza,  Captain  Snapper,  we  had  a 
mutiny  just  because  the  coffee  wasn't  right." 

"  Yes,  and  I  can  remember  that  they  had  a  mutiny 
on  the  old  brig  Chesterfield  because  Captain  Roe's 
wife  brought  a  cross-eyed  yellow  cat  on  board," 
added  Grandon.  "  Not  a  man  would  hoist  a  sail  un- 
til that  feline  was  put  ashore.  And  when,  two 
months  later,  the  brig  lost  her  foremast  in  a  gale,  the 
sailors  said  it  was  on  account  of  that  same  cat,  she 
having  scratched  the  mast  before  she  was  taken 
away ! " 


46  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  Well,  I  hope  we  don't  have  a  mutiny,"  said 
Larry.  "  I'd  like  to  suggest  something,  Captain 
Ponsberry,"  he  went  on,  to  the  master  of  the 
Columbia. 

"  Fire  ahead,  Larry." 

"  You  know  we  can  trust  Luke  Striker.  Why  not 
have  him  report  just  what  the  other  hands  are 
doing?" 

"  That's  an  idea,  and  I  will  act  on  it.  Yes,  I'd 
trust  Striker  as  quick  as  I'd  trust  you.  If  there  is  to 
be  trouble  we  certainly  want  to  know  of  it  as  soon  as 
possible,"  concluded  the  captain. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE   FIGHT   FOR  THE   SHIP 

THE  day  to  follow  was  Sunday,  and  contrary  to 
expectations,  it  passed  quietly.  As  there  was  hardly 
any  wind,  the  old  Columbia  made  slow  progress,  and 
the  sailors  had  little  or  nothing  to  do.  As  was  his 
usual  habit,  Larry  read  his  Bible,  and  Captain  Pons- 
berry  held  a  short  church  service,  which  less  than 
half  the  crew  attended. 

"  It's  plain  to  see  that  the  men  are  sulky,"  said 
Tom  Grandon,  towards  evening.  "  We  are  certain 
to  hear  something  from  them  shortly." 

Luke  had  been  told  to  report  anything  unusual, 
but  it  was  not  until  after  dark  that  he  sought  out 
Captain  Ponsberry. 

"  I  ain't  got  much  to  say,"  said  the  old  tar.  "  But 
to  my  mind  Peterson,  Groot,  and  Shamhaven  are 
doin'  a  powerful  lot  of  confabbin'.  More'n  that,  I 
saw  Peterson  cleaning  up  a  pistol  he's  got." 

"  Are  any  of  the  other  hands  armed  ?  " 

"  I  ain't  seen  no  other  shootin'-irons,"  answered 
Luke. 

47 


48  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

The  captain  had  expected  to  interview  Semmel 
once  more,  but  found  the  fellow  so  surly  he  gave  up 
the  attempt.  As  the  brig  was  so  hot  and  uncom- 
fortable, the  master  of  the  schooner  had  the  door 
fixed  so  it  could  be  left  open  several  inches,  with  a 
chain  at  the  bolt  to  keep  it  from  going  further. 

At  four  o'clock  Monday  morning  Peterson  came 
on  duty,  followed  by  Shamhaven  and  some  others. 
All  made  their  way  to  the  bow  and  began  to  talk  in 
a  low  but  earnest  fashion.  Then  Peterson  went 
below,  to  where  Semmel  was  still  confined  in  the 
brig. 

"  We  are  ready  to  move  now,"  said  he,  in  Rus- 
sian. "  What  do  you  think  ?  " 

"  Let  me  out  and  I  will  show  you  what  I  think," 
growled  Ostag  Semmel.  "  The  captain  is  a  dog — 
and  Grandon  and  Russell  are  dogs,  too !  " 

Peterson  was  prepared  to  unlock  the  chain  which 
held  the  brig  door  and  did  so.  Then  he  handed  a 
pistol  to  the  Russian. 

"  The  captain  and  Russell  are  in  their  state- 
rooms," said  Peterson.  "  Only  Grandon  is  on  deck, 
with  Vincent  and  with  the  men  we  can  trust  to  help 
us." 

"  We  can't  trust  Vincent." 

"  I  know  that." 

"Where  is  Striker?" 


THE    FIGHT    FOR   THE   SHIP  49 

"  Asleep  in  his  berth." 

But  on  this  score  Carl  Peterson  was  mistaken. 
Luke  had  pretended  to  go  to  sleep,  but  he  was 
now  in  a  corner  on  deck,  watching  with  keen  eyes 
all  that  was  occurring.  Presently  he  saw  Sem- 
tnel  in  company  with  Peterson  hurry  towards 
the  bow,  and  he  felt  that  the  time  for  action  had 
arrived. 

"  Hi,  Mr.  Grandon ! "  he  called  out,  running  up 
to  the  first  mate. 

"What  is  it,  Striker?" 

"  They've  released  Semmel  and  they  are  arming 
themselves." 

"  You  don't  say !  "  Tom  Grandon  was  stunned 
for  the  instant.  "  Tell  the  captain  and  Russell  of 
this  at  once! " 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir !  " 

Rushing  down  the  companionway,  Luke  entered 
the  cabin  and  knocked  on  the  door  of  Captain  Pons- 
berry's  stateroom. 

"  Wake  up,  captain !  "  he  called,  loudly.  "  Wake 
up !  There  is  going  to  be  trouble  putty  quick,  to  my 
way  o'  thinkin' !  " 

"  What  has  gone  wrong  now  ?  "  demanded  the 
master  of  the  Columbia,  as  he  hurried  into  his  clothes 
and  armed  himself.  "  Where  is  Grandon  ?  " 

"  On  deck ;  he  sent  me  to  tell  you.     They  have 


SO  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

set  Semmel  free  and  some  of  'em  are  arming  them- 
selves." 

"A  mutiny!"  roared  Captain  Ponsberry. 
"  Striker,  you'll  stand  by  me,  of  course  ?  " 

"  That  I  will,  sir— to  the  end." 

"  Good.  I  know  Vincent  will  do  the  same.  Do 
you  know  anything  about  the  others  ?  " 

"  I  think  you  can  count  on  Jeff  the  cook." 

"What  of  Wilbur?" 

"  He's  so  weak-kneed  I  don't  know  what  he'll  do," 
answered  Striker. 

By  this  time  Larry  was  out  of  his  stateroom. 
With  his  door  ajar  he  had  heard  all  that  had  been 
said. 

"  Oh,  Luke,  do  you  think  they'll  try  to  seize  the 
ship  ?  "  he  gasped. 

"  Don't  know  what  they'll  do.  They're  a  plumb 
crazy  lot,"  growled  the  old  tar.  "  It  was  a  mistake 
to  take  such  fellers  as  Semmel  and  Peterson  and 
Shamhaven  aboard." 

"  That  is  true,  but  when  Devine  and  Larson  got 
sick  and  went  to  the  hospital  at  Manila  I  had  to  get 
somebody,"  answered  Captain  Ponsberry.  He 
brought  out  several  pistols.  "  Here,  Larry,  take  one 
of  these,  and  a  cutlass,  too,  and  you,  Striker,  can  arm 
yourself  likewise." 

There  was  no  time  to  answer,  for  the  master  of 


THE    FIGHT    FOR   THE   SHIP  51 

the  schooner  was  already  striding  through  the  cabin 
in  the  direction  of  the  companionway.  An  instant 
later  came  a  yell  from  the  deck,  followed  by  heavy 
footsteps  and  then  the  report  of  a  pistol. 

"  Drive  dem  to  de  cabin ! "  came  in  the  voice  of 
Semmel.  "  Drive  dem  along,  kvick !  "  And  then 
followed  another  yell  and  the  sounds  of  half  a  dozen 
blows. 

"  Below  there ! "  came  in  Tom  Grandon's  voice. 
"Help!  help!" 

"  I'm  coming !  "  called  up  Captain  Ponsberry. 

"  Don't  you  dare  to  step  on  deck,  captain !  "  yelled 
down  the  voice  of  Shamhaven.  "  Don't  you  dare  to 
do  it !  "  And  the  sailor  appeared,  pistol  in  hand,  at 
the  top  of  the  companionway. 

"  Shamhaven,  what  does  this  mean  ?  "  demanded 
the  master  of  the  Columbia. 

"  It  means  that  we  have  taken  possession  of  the 
ship,  that's  what  it  means,"  came  from  Groot. 

"  Of  you  come  up  here,  you  maybe  git  killed," 
put  in  Ostag  Semmel.  "  You  stay  down  dare,  you 
hear  ?  "  And  then,  as  the  captain  started  to  mount 
the  stairs,  he  threw  down  a  belaying  pin.  In  the 
semi-darkness  the  captain  did  not  see  the  object,  and 
it  struck  him  on  the  top  of  the  head,  rendering  him 
partly  unconscious. 

Larry  and  Luke  were  close  behind  their  leader  and 


52  AT  THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

both  were  alarmed  to  see  him  go  down,  uttering  a 
deep  groan  as  he  did  so. 

"  Is  he  killed  ?  "  questioned  the  young  second  mate. 

"  I  don't  know,"  was  the  old  tar's  response. 
"Shall  we  go  up?" 

"  Keep  back  there ! "  was  the  call  from  above. 
"  Put  a  step  on  those  stairs  and  it  will  be  the  worse 
for  you ! " 

At  that  moment  .came  a  cry  from  Cal  Vincent. 
The  boatswain  had  been  attacked  from  behind  and 
was  given  no  chance  to  defend  himself.  Then  came 
a  roar  from  Jeff,  who  came  rushing  toward  the 
companionway  as  if  all  the  demons  of  the  deep  were 
behind  him. 

"  Sabe  me !  sabe  me ! "  he  screamed.  "  Da  is 
gwine  to  pirate  de  ship  I  Sabe  me ! "  And  then 
he  came  plunging  down  headlong,  directly  on  top  of 
Larry,  Luke,  and  the  prostrate  captain. 

This  unexpected  coming  of  Jeff  sent  the  young 
second  mate  and  the  old  tar  flat  on  Captain  Pons- 
berry,  and  for  the  moment  there  was  a  struggle  all 
around.  In  the  meantime  some  sailors  on  the  deck 
began  to  drag  a  heavy  hatch  toward  the  stairs. 
Soon  this  was  placed  in  position,  and  then  those 
below  were  virtually  prisoners. 

"  Oh  my,  sabe  me !  "  groaned  Jeff  once  more,  as 
he  managed  to  get  on  his  feet  in  the  cabin,  followed 


THE    FIGHT   FOR   THE   SHIP  53 

by  Larry  and  Luke.  "  Don't  you  let  dem  swing  me 
from  de  yardarm !  " 

"Jeff,  where  are  Grandon  and  Vincent?"  de- 
manded Larry. 

"  I  dunno,  sah — dead,  I  guess,"  answered  the 
cook.  "  Oh,  dis  am  de  awfulest  t'ing  wot  I  eber 
heard  tell  ob! "  he  added,  woefully,  and  wrung  his 
hands. 

The  lantern  in  the  cabin  was  turned  up  and  Larry 
gave  his  attention  once  more  to  Captain  Ponsberry, 
who  was  now  opening  his  eyes. 

"  Oh,  my  head ! "  came  with  a  shiver.  "  My 
head!" 

"  I'm  glad  they  didn't  kill  you,"  said  Larry, 
kindly.  "  Luke,  help  me  carry  him  into  the  cabin. 
We'll  put  him  on  the  couch." 

This  was  done,  and  they  did  what  they  could  to 
make  the  master  of  the  schooner  comfortable.  But 
it  was  a  good  half-hour  before  Captain  Ponsberry 
could  sit  up  and  do  any  rational  thinking. 

On  deck  all  had  become  suddenly  quiet.  Occa- 
sionally those  below  could  hear  a  footstep  near  the 
companionway,  showing  that  one  or  more  of  the 
mutineers  were  on  guard.  The  hatch  shut  off 
the  view  on  deck,  and  the  windows  in  the  ceiling 
of  the  cabin  were  also  boarded  over  from  the  out- 
side. 


54  AT    THE    FALL    OF    PORT    ARTHUR 

"  They  have  us  like  rats  in  a  trap,"  said  Larry, 
bitterly. 

"  And  for  all  we  know  Vincent  and  Grandon  are 
both  dead,"  returned  Luke  Striker,  soberly.  "  I 
must  say,  lad,  we  seem  to  be  in  a  bad  way  and  no 
mistake." 

"  Dey'll  throw  us  overboard,  I  know  dey  will ! " 
groaned  Jeff,  who  was  almost  white  with  terror. 
"  I  neber  see  sech  goin's-on  in  all  ma  life ! " 

To  fight  the  mutineers  further  was,  just  then,  out 
of  the  question,  and  Larry  turned  his  attention  again 
to  Captain  Ponsberry.  At  last  the  captain  seemed 
fully  to  comprehend  what  had  occurred.  He  once 
more  moved  toward  the  companionway,  pistol  in 
hand. 

"  You  can't  get  out  that  way,  sir,"  said  Larry. 
"  They  have  placed  the  fore  hatch  over  the  stairs." 

"  And  they  are  armed,  too,"  put  in  Luke.  "  Be 
careful,  sir,  or  they'll  shoot  you  down." 

"  And  this  on  my  own  ship !  "  came  bitterly  from 
the  master  of  the  Columbia.  "  That  is  what  I  get 
for  treating  the  dogs  better  than  they  deserve. 
Where  are  Grandon  and  Vincent  ?  " 

"  Either  shot  down  or  taken  prisoners.  They 
called  for  help,  and  that  was  the  last  we  heard  of 
them." 

"  And  are  all  the  others  in  this  dastardly  plot?  " 


THE    FIGHT    FOR   THE   SHIP  55 

"  I  reckon  they  are,"  answered  Luke.  "  Them 
foreigners,  Semmel  an'  Peterson,  must  have  stirred 
'em  up  powerfully." 

Still  weak  from  the  blow  received,  Captain  Pons- 
berry  sank  down  once  more  on  the  cabin  couch. 
There  was  a  lump  as  big  as  a  walnut  on  the  top  of 
his  head,  and  he  had  Jeff  bathe  it  with  water  and 
then  with  witch-hazel,  which  made  it  a  trifle  more 
comfortable. 

A  short  while  later  came  a  sudden  wild  song  from 
the  deck  of  the  schooner,  followed  by  a  clinking  of 
glasses. 

"  They  are  treating  themselves  to  grog,"  said 
Luke.  "  I  suppose,  now  they  have  the  run  of  things, 
they'll  drink  all  they  want  of  the  stuff." 

"  More  than  likely,"  returned  the  captain. 
"Well,  it  is  their  turn  just  now — perhaps  before 
long  it  will  be  my  turn ! "  And  he  smiled  signifi- 
cantly. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE   MUTINEERS   IN    POSSESSION 

As  my  old  readers  know,  both  Captain  Ponsberry 
and  Luke  Striker  were  Yankees  to  the  backbone, 
and  it  galled  them  exceedingly  to  see  the  schooner 
in  the  hands  of  a  number  of  mutineers,  and  es- 
pecially foreigners. 

"  We've  got  to  git  the  ship  back,  no  two  ways 
on  it,"  growled  the  old  tar.  "  Captain,  I'm  willin'  to 
fight  to  the  end,  if  ye  give  the  word." 

"  And  I'll  fight,  too,"  said  Larry,  promptly. 

"  Don't  you  go  f  o'  to  fight  dem  rascallions ! " 
whined  Jeff.  "  Yo'  will  all  be  killed  suah !  " 

"  I  would  like  to  know  what  has  become  of  Gran- 
don  and  Vincent,"  came  from  Captain  Ponsberry. 
"  As  we  stand  now,  we  are  but  four  to  seven  or 
eight.  If  we  could  get  Grandon  and  Vincent  to  aid 
us  we  would  be  six  against  them." 

"  Perhaps  all  the  hands  are  not  in  the  mu- 
tiny," suggested  Larry.  "  Why  not  try  to  sound 
them?" 

"  I  was  thinking  of  doing  that." 
56 


THE    MUTINEERS   IN    POSSESSION  57 

A  little  later  Captain  Ponsberry  called  up  the  com- 
panionway.  At  first  nobody  paid  any  attention  to 
him,  but  presently  the  hatch  was  shoved  aside  a  few 
inches  and  Ostag  Semmel  looked  down.  Behind 
him  was  Shamhaven. 

"  Semmel,  what  does  this  mean  ?  "  asked  the  cap- 
tain, as  calmly  as  he  could. 

"  It  means  dat  ve  haf  de  ship,"  replied  the  Rus- 
sian, with  a  grin. 

"  You  are  carrying  matters  with  a  very  high  hand. 
Where  are  Grandon  and  Vincent  ?  " 

"  I  not  tell  you  dat." 

"  We  had  a  right  to  mutiny,"  said  Shamhaven. 
"  The  grub  wasn't  fit  to  eat  and  was  getting  worse 
every  day." 

"  That's  a  tale  gotten  up  for  the  occasion,  Sham- 
haven,  and  you  know  it.  Semmel  doctored  the  food 
to  make  you  dissatisfied." 

"  Well,  we  don't  think  so,"  grumbled  the  sailor. 
"  I  don't  think  so,  and  Groot  and  the  others  don't 
either." 

"  Has  Jack  Wilbur  joined  you  ?  " 

"  Certainly  he  has,"  was  Shamhaven's  ready 
reply,  but  his  look  belied  his  words. 

"  Ve  are  all  pount  to  stick  togedder,"  said  Sem- 
mel. "  You  might  as  veil  gif  up — der  sooner  der 
petter  for  you !  " 


$8  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  I  don't  propose  to  give  up,  you  rascal." 

"  Ton't  you  call  me  a  rascals,  no !  "  shouted  Ostag 
Semmel.  "  I  vos  now  der  captains,  yes,  do  you 
hear?  Captain  Semmel !  " 

"  Bosh !  "  put  in  Luke  Striker,  in  disgust.  "  Why 
ye  ain't  fit  to  be  the  skipper  'f  a  canal-boat !  " 

"  If  you  try  to  navigate  the  ship  you'll  sink  her  on 
the  rocks,"  put  in  Larry. 

"  You  had  better  consider  what  you  are  doing, 
Shamhaven,"  went  on  the  master  of  the  Columbia. 
"  Remember,  if  I  regain  possession  of  the  schooner  I 
can  make  it  go  hard  with  you." 

"  You  no  get  dare  schooner  again,  not  much ! " 
came  from  Peterson,  who  had  just  come  up,  followed 
by  Jack  Wilbur. 

"  Wilbur,  are  you  in  this  ?  "  demanded  the  cap- 
tain. "  If  you  are,  I  must  confess  I  didn't  think  it 
of  you." 

"  I  ain't  goin'  to  eat  poor  grub,"  answered 
Wilbur,  lamely. 

"  The  grub  is  all  right  and  you  know  it.  It  was 
doctored  up  by  Semmel,  and  I " 

"  You  stop  dat  talk !  "  roared  Semmel,  and  then 
he  added :  "  Maybe  you  gif  in  after  you  are  goot  an' 
hungry,  hey  ?  " 

"  What,  do  you  want  to  starve  us  out  ?  "  cried 
Larry. 


THE   MUTINEERS   IN    POSSESSION  59 

"  You  see — chust  vait !  "  answered  the  Russian, 
and  with  this  the  hatch  was  again  put  in  place  and 
the  conference  came  to  an  end. 

Captain  Ponsberry  was  fairly  boiling  with  wrath, 
but  even  so  he  realized  that  prudence  is  often  the 
better  part  of  valor. 

"  There  is  no  use  of  trying  a  rush  to  the  deck," 
he  said.  "  Those  rascals  would  surely  shoot  us 
down.  Just  now  some  of  them  are  in  the  humor 
for  anything." 

"  Perhaps  we  can  do  something  to-night,"  sug- 
gested Larry. 

"They  talk  about  starving  us  out,"  said  Luke, 
"  Ain't  there  nothin'  to  eat  here?  " 

An  inspection  was  made  of  the  cabin  pantry, 
which  brought  to  light  some  preserves,  some  pickles, 
a  pot  of  cheese,  and  a  tin  of  fancy  crackers. 

"  About  enough  for  one  meal,"  said  Captain  Pons- 
berry, grimly. 

"And  a  pretty  slim  one  at  that,"  added  Larry. 
"  But  I  say,  captain,"  he  added,  suddenly,  "  isn't 
there  a  door  leading  from  the  back  of  the  pantry 
down  into  the  hold  ?  " 

"  There  was  once — but  I  had  it  nailed  up  years 
ago,  for  we  never  used  it." 

"  If  we  can  open  that,  we  might  get  something 
from  the  hold." 


60  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  Going  to  eat  machinery  ?  "  demanded  Luke. 

"  No — canned  goods,  Luke ;  I  know  Jeff  had  some 
placed  there,  for  he  didn't  have  room  in  his  store- 
room." 

"  Dat  am  a  fac',"  put  in  the  cook.  "  I'se  got  lots 
ob  t'ings  in  dat  dar  hold." 

"  Then  that  settles  the  starving  question,"  said 
Captain  Ponsberry.  "  I've  got  a  small  saw  and  a 
hammer  down  here  somewhere.  We  can  use  them 
on  the  door." 

"  And  that  gives  me  another  idea,"  went  on  Larry. 
"  The  hatch  covering  over  the  companionway  be- 
longs to  the  fore  hatch.  If  we  can  reach  that  open- 
ing from  here,  why  can't  we  steal  on  deck  when  we 
get  the  chance  and  try  to  make  the  mutineers 
prisoners  ?  " 

"Eureka!"  shouted  Luke.  "That's  the  talk, 
Larry.  Fer  your  years  you've  got  a  wonderfully 
long  head  on  ye.  We'll  make  'em  prisoners  or 
chuck  'em  overboard !  " 

"  The  idea  is  worth  considering,"  said  the  captain. 
"  But  we  must  be  careful." 

A  search  was  made  and  the  hammer,  small  saw, 
and  also  a  chisel  were  found.  Then  they  cleaned 
out  the  pantry,  took  down  several  shelves,  and 
thus  uncovered  the  small  door  which  had  been 
nailed  up. 


THE    MUTINEERS   IN    POSSESSION  6l 

"  Don't  make  any  noise,  or  they'll  suspect 
that  we  are  up  to  something,"  said  Captain  Pons- 
berry. 

"  Let  Jeff  rattle  some  dishes,"  said  Larry,  and 
while  he  and  Luke  worked  on  the  door,  the  cook  be- 
gan to  handle  the  dishes  in  such  a  rough  manner  that 
several  were  broken.  He  also  tried  to  sing  a  couple 
of  verses  of  his  favorite  song,  "  My  Gal  Susannah !  " 
but  his  voice  was  so  shaky  that  the  effort  was,  artisti- 
cally, a  failure,  although  it  added  to  the  noise,  which 
was  all  that  was  desired. 

"  They're  pretty  happy  down  there,"  said 
Wilbur  to  Shamhaven,  as  he  listened  to  the 
sounds. 

"  Oh,  they're  putting  on  a  front,"  growled  Sham- 
haven.  "  They'll  sing  a  different  tune  when  their 
stomachs  are  empty." 

"  I  don't  know  about  this  mutiny,"  went  on  the 
weak-kneed  sailor,  nervously. 

"  Oh,  it's  all  right  and  you  needn't  to  worry, 
Wilbur.  If  we  stick  together  we'll  make  a  couple  of 
thousand  apiece  out  of  this  game." 

"  But  what  shall  we  do  if  we  fall  in  with  a  Rus- 
sian warship  ?  " 

"  Semmel  has  that  all  fixed.  He'll  expose  the 
captain  and  state  that  the  Columbia  is  carrying  a 
cargo  for  the  Japanese  Government,  and  that  he 


62  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

took  possession  in  the  name  of  the  Czar.  With  this 
war  on  they  won't  ask  too  many  questions  so  long  as 
they  can  give  the  Japs  a  black  eye." 

"  I  see.  But  supposing  we  fall  in  with  a  Japanese 
warship  ?  " 

"  Then  Semmel  is  going  to  turn  the  command 
over  to  me  and  I'll  tell  them  that  the  cargo  was 
really  meant  for  the  Japanese  Government  but  that 
Captain  Ponsberry,  just  before  we  left  Manila,  sold 
out  to  the  Russian  agents  and  was  going  to  Vladi- 
vostok. I'll  add  that  we  refused  to  go  to  the  Rus- 
sian port  after  signing  for  Nagasaki,  and  all  of  the 
men  can  back  me  up.  That  will  put  the  captain  and 
his  friends  in  limbo  and  give  us  some  prize  money. 
Oh,  we'll  come  out  ahead,  don't  you  worry,"  con- 
cluded Shamhaven,  confidently. 

The  day  passed  slowly  and  the  mutineers  held 
several  meetings,  to  settle  upon  just  what  they  were 
going  to  do.  But  all  had  been  drinking  more  than 
was  good  for  them  and  the  conferences  ended  in 
nothing  but  talk.  Semmel  was  the  accepted  leader, 
but  it  was  plain  to  see  that  Shamhaven  objected 
strongly  to  playing  a  secondary  part,  and  Peterson 
also  wanted  a  large  "  finger  in  the  pie." 

As  they  worked  with  care,  it  was  a  good  hour  and 
a  half  before  Larry  and  Luke  managed  to  take  down 
the  door  leading  into  the  hold.  Even  when  this  was 


THE    MUTINEERS   IN    POSSESSION  63 

done  they  found  on  the  other  side  several  heavy  cases 
of  machinery  almost  impossible  to  budge. 

"  We  can  pry  those  out  of  the  way/'  said  the  cap- 
tain. 

"A  foot  or  so  will  do  it,"  returned  Larry. 
"  Then  I  think  I  can  crawl  over  the  top." 

They  continued  the  work,  and  a  little  later  the 
young  second  mate  was  able  to  squeeze  his  way  to 
the  top  of  the  cargo  in  that  vicinity. 

"  Be  careful,  Larry,"  warned  the  captain.  "  If  a 
case  should  shift  with  the  ship  you  might  get  a 
crushed  leg.  You  had  better  take  a  candle  along." 

"  I  will,  sir." 

Luke  was  as  anxious  to  get  into  the  hold  as  the 
young  second  mate,  and  he  too  squeezed  his  tall, 
lank  form  through  the  opening.  Guided  by  the 
faint  light  of  the  candle,  they  crawled  over  a  num- 
ber of  cases  of  machinery  and  war  goods  until  they 
drew  close  to  the  middle  of  the  ship. 

"  Here  we  are!  "  cried  Larry,  in  a  low  voice,  and 
pointed  to  some  cases  of  canned  goods.  "  Beans, 
corn,  tomatoes,  salt  pork,  condensed  milk — we  won't 
starve  just  yet,  Luke." 

"An'  here  are  some  barrels  o'  flour,"  added 
the  old  tar.  "  No,  they  can't  starve  us  nohow 
now." 

They  had  brought  the  chisel  and  hammer  along, 


64  AT   THE    FALL   OF   PORT   ARTHUR 

and  with  extra  caution  opened  some  of  the  cases. 
Taking  with  them  all  the  goods  they  could  carry, 
they  returned  to  the  cabin. 

"  This  is  splendid ! "  cried  Captain  Ponsberry. 
"  With  this  stuff  on  hand  we  can  hold  the  cabin  in- 
definitely." 

"  How  is  I  gwine  to  cook  ?  "  questioned  Jeff. 

"  Over  the  two  lanterns,  Jeff.  It  will  be  slow 
work,  but  our  time  is  our  own.  Luckily  there  are 
pots  and  tins  in  the  pantry." 

"  All  right,  sah." 

"  Of  course,  I  am  hoping  that  we  shall  not  have  to 
stay  here  long,"  went  on  the  captain.  "  But  it  is 
best  to  be  prepared." 

That  those  on  deck  might  not  see  the  cooking  go- 
ing on,  one  of  the  staterooms  was  cleaned  out  and 
Jeff  went  to  work  in  this.  In  the  meantime  Semmel 
called  down  the  companionway  once  more. 

"  Are  you  gettin'  hungry?  "  he  asked. 

"  Tell  him  yes,"  whispered  Larry. 

"  Why  ?  "  questioned  the  captain,  in  an  equally 
low  tone. 

"  Then  he'll  think  we  are  getting  ready  to  come 
to  terms  and  he  won't  watch  us  so  closely." 

"  I  see."  Captain  Ponsberry  raised  his  voice. 
"  Yes,  we  are  hungry,"  he  called  up.  "  What  are 
you  going  to  send  us,  something  good  ?  " 


THE    MUTINEERS   IN    POSSESSION  65 

"Ve  send  noddings.  Maybe  you  talk  business 
soon,  hey?  "  continued  the  rascally  Russian. 

"  Perhaps." 

"  How  soon  ?  " 

"  Well,  perhaps  to-morrow  morning." 

"Not  before  dot,  hey?" 

"  No." 

"  All  right  den ;  you  can  go  on  an'  starve  so 
long!  "  growled  Ostag  Semmel,  and  went  away.  A 
moment  later  he  met  Shamhaven. 

"  What  did  he  say?  "  asked  the  latter,  anxiously. 

"  He  comes  to  terms  to-morrow !  "  answered  the 
Russian,  triumphantly. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

TURNING  THE  TABLES 

THE  meal  which  Jeff  prepared  put  all  in  the  cabin 
in  better  humor,  and  as  soon  as  it  was  over  a  council 
of  war  was  held. 

It  was  decided  to  wait  until  darkness  had  set  in, 
and  then  try  to  gain  the  deck  of  the  ship  by  way  of 
the  fore  hatch.  In  the  meantime  the  door  to  the 
companionway  was  to  be  locked  and  barred,  so  that 
the  mutineers  could  not  attack  them  very  well  from 
that  direction,  should  a  running  fight  ensue. 

As  Jeff  would  be  of  no  use  in  a  struggle  he  was 
delegated  to  remain  in  the  cabin,  to  make  as  much 
noise  as  possible,  singing  and  talking  to  himself,  so 
that  the  mutineers  might  not  suspect  what  was  tak- 
ing place. 

Each  member  of  the  party  armed  himself  both 
with  a  pistol  and  a  cutlass,  and  Larry  led  the  way  as 
before,  candle  in  hand.  It  was  easy  for  Luke  to 
follow  him,  but  rather  difficult  for  the  captain,  who 
was  more  portly. 

"  Reckon  as  how  ye  shouldn't  have  eaten  so  much, 

66 


TURNING   THE   TABLES  67 

captain,"  chuckled  the  old  tar,  as  he  helped  Captain 
Ponsberry  through  a  particularly  narrow  place. 

"  True,  Striker,"  was  the  answer.  "  But  you  be 
careful  that  you  don't  slip  into  some  slit  between 
the  cases  and  go  out  of  sight." 

They  soon  gained  the  spot  where  the  canned  goods 
had  been  found.  They  had  now  to  climb  over  some 
machinery  that  reached  nearly  to  the  top  of  the  hold, 
and  then  over  a  varied  collection  of  boxes  and  bar- 
rels and  bags.  On  the  bags  lay  some  of  the  old 
sails  of  the  ship  and  several  coils  of  discarded 
rope. 

They  were  just  approaching  the  open  fore  hatch 
when  they  saw  a  rope  ladder  let  down.  Instantly 
Larry  uttered  a  warning  and  put  out  the  light. 

"  Somebody  is  coming  down,"  he  whispered. 

It  was  the  sailor  Wilbur,  who  had  been  sent  to 
get  some  canned  goods  for  cooking  purposes.  He 
came  down  the  rope  ladder  with  a  lantern  slung  over 
one  arm. 

"  We'll  make  him  a  prisoner ! "  cried  Captain 
Ponsberry.  "  And  let  us  do  it  as  quietly  as  we  can, 
so  as  not  to  disturb  those  on  deck." 

The  others  understood  and  crouched  back  in  the 
darkness.  Then,  as  Wilbur  passed  them,  the  cap- 
tain caught  him  from  the  back  and  Larry  clapped 
a  hand  over  the  fellow's  mouth. 


68  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"Oh!"  spluttered  Wilbur,  but  that  was  as  far 
as  he  got. 

"  Not  a  word !  Not  a  sound,  Wilbur ! "  said 
Captain  Ponsberry,  earnestly. 

The  sailor  understood,  and  being  a  craven  at  heart 
he  almost  collapsed.  It  was  an  easy  matter  to  take 
one  of  the  old  ropes  and  tie  his  hands  behind  him. 
Then  Captain  Ponsberry  confronted  the  mutineer, 
making  a  liberal  exhibition  of  his  pistol  as  he 
did  so. 

"  Wilbur,  answer  me  truthfully,"  said  the  master 
of  the  Columbia.  "  Are  you  all  in  this  mutiny  or 
not?  Don't  speak  above  a  whisper." 

"  I  ain't  in  it !  "  whined  Wilbur.  "  They  dragged 
me  in,  they  did.  I  ain't  kicking  about  grub,  or 
nothing ! " 

"Are  all  the  others  in  it?" 

"  Kind  of,  yes.  Groot  didn't  care  much  to  go  in. 
Guess  he  wish  he  was  out  of  it  now." 

"What  has  become  of  Grandon  and  Vincent?" 

"  Both  of  'em  are  prisoners  in  the  brig." 

"  Are  they  wounded  ?  " 

"  Not  much.  Grandon  had  his  thumb  cut  and 
Vincent  got  a  kick  in  the  back  that  lamed  him." 

"  Is  anybody  guarding  them  ?  " 

"  I  guess  not.  All  of  'em  have  got  to  drinking 
again.  Say,  captain,  let  me  out  of  this  fix  and  I'll 


TURNING   THE   TABLES  09 

never  go  against  you  again,  never,"  continued  Wil- 
bur, earnestly. 

"  We'll  see  about  that  later,"  was  the  grim 
reply. 

"  Captain  Ponsberry,  I  have  a  scheme,"  put  in 
Larry,  and  he  drew  the  master  of  the  ship  to  one 
side.  "  Wilbur  is  about  the  same  build  as  myself. 
Let  me  take  his  coat  and  cap  and  go  on  deck  and 
down  to  the  brig.  If  I  can  release  Grandon  and 
Vincent  we'll  be  sure  to  knock  out  the  mutiny  in  no 
time." 

"  It's  a  dangerous  game,  Larry." 

"  Oh,  please  let  me  do  it !  "  pleaded  the  young 
second  mate.  The  hazard  was  one  which  appealed 
to  him  strongly. 

The  matter  was  talked  over  for  a  few  minutes 
and  it  was  decided  to  let  Larry  have  his  way.  Wil- 
bur was  soon  stripped  of  his  coat  and  the  young 
second  mate  donned  the  garment.  Then  he  took 
the  mutineer's  cap  and  pulled  it  as  far  over  his  brow 
as  possible  and  turned  up  the  coat  collar. 

"  I'll  leave  the  lantern  here,"  he  said,  and  a  sec- 
ond later  was  mounting  the  rope  ladder  slowly  and 
cautiously. 

With  his  head  on  a  level  with  the  deck  Larry 
paused  to  reconnoiter  the  situation.  He  knew  ex- 
actly how  dangerous  his  mission  was  and  that  he 


7O  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

was  running  the  risk  of  being  shot.  But  his  life  in 
our  navy  had  made  him  bold,  and  seeing  nobody  in 
sight,  he  leaped  out  on  deck,  and  hurried  with  all 
speed  to  the  ladder  leading  to  the  brig.  Soon  he 
was  in  front  of  the  barred  door. 

"  Grandon !  Vincent !  "  he  called,  softly. 

"  Hullo,  who's  that  ?  "  came  in  the  voice  of  the 
first  mate. 

"  It  is  I,  Larry.     Is  Vincent  there?  " 

"  Yes.     Where  did  you  come  from  ?  " 

"  The  cabin."  Larry  unbarred  the  door.  "  Are 
you  hurt  ?  " 

"  Not  much.     How  are  you  ?  " 

"  I  am  all  right,  and  so  are  the  captain  and  Luke 
Striker.  They  are  in  the  hold,  ready  to  come  on 
deck.  We  have  made  Wilbur  a  prisoner." 

"  Good  enough,"  came  from  the  boatswain. 
"  The  rascals !  They  ought  all  to  walk  the  plank !  " 
he  added,  vehemently. 

The  two  men  had  their  hands  tied  behind  them, 
but  it  was  an  easy  matter  for  Larry  to  liberate  them. 
Then  each  provided  himself  with  a  belaying  pin,  and 
all  three  of  the  party  stole  to  the  deck. 

From  the  forecastle  and  the  cook's  galley  came 
loud  talking,  showing  that  the  mutineers  were  mak- 
ing themselves  at  home.  One  man  was  trying  to 
do  some  cooking. 


TURNING   THE   TABLES  71 

"  What's  keeping  Wilbur  so  long?  "  he  demanded 
of  the  others. 

Nobody  knew,  and  one  of  the  crowd,  the  sailor 
named  Groot,  volunteered  to  look  the  missing  one 
up. 

"  Let  us  follow  him  to  the  hatch,"  whispered 
Larry.  "  Perhaps  we  can  make  him  a  prisoner." 

"  Right  you  are,"  answered  Tom  Grandon. 

With  caution  they  came  up  behind  the  man,  and 
just  as  Groot  leaned  over  the  open  hatchway,  they 
caught  him  tightly. 

"  Keep  silent,  Groot !  "  said  Grandon.  "  Keep 
silent,  or  we'll  throw  you  overboard." 

"  Stop !  "  roared  the  mutineer.     "  Help !  hel " 

He  got  no  further,  for  raising  his  belaying  pin, 
Vincent  brought  it  down  on  the  mutineer's  head. 
Groot  had  been  the  one  to  lame  the  boatswain's 
back  and  the  latter  had  not  forgotten  it.  Over  went 
the  fellow  and  sank  down  as  if  dead. 

"  Drop  him  into  the  hold,"  ordered  Grandon,  and 
this  was  done  just  as  Captain  Ponsberry  and 
Luke  Striker  appeared  at  the  foot  of  the  rope 
ladder. 

"  Another,  eh  ?  "  said  the  master  of  the  Columbia. 
"  Good  enough !  How  are  you,  Tom  ?  How  are 
you,  Vincent  ?  " 

"  We're  ready  to  fight  'em,"  answered  the  first 


?2  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

mate.  "  Come  on !  They've  got  so  much  liquor 
aboard  they  can't  do  much  to  us !  " 

"  Be  careful,  I  don't  want  anybody  shot  if  it  can 
be  avoided,"  responded  Captain  Ponsberry. 

"  I  think  it  would  be  a  good  plan  to  dump  them 
all  into  the  hold,"  said  Larry.  "  Then  we  could 
nail  up  that  pantry  door,  put  the  hatch  into  place, 
and  keep  them  at  our  mercy." 

"  If  the  plan  will  work,  it's  a  good  one,"  answered 
the  captain. 

One  after  another  they  came  out  on  deck,  leaving 
Wilbur  and  Groot  in  the  hold.  They  found  the 
mutineers  equally  divided  between  the  galley  and  the 
forecastle.  The  only  man  in  charge  of  the  schooner 
was  Conroy,  who  was  at  the  wheel. 

As  they  advanced  upon  the  forecastle  they  saw 
Semmel  come  out,  accompanied  by  Peterson. 

"  There  are  the  ringleaders !  "  cried  Captain  Pons- 
berry, and  rushing  up  to  them  he  exclaimed :  "  Sur- 
render, you  rascals !  "  And  he  aimed  his  pistol, 
while  the  others  also  raised  their  weapons. 

The  Russian  and  his  companion  were  taken  com- 
pletely by  surprise,  and  before  they  could  draw  any 
weapons  of  their  own  it  was  too  late.  Grandon 
tripped  one  up  and  fell  upon  him,  and  then  Vincent 
and  Larry  tripped  up  the  other.  There  was  a  brief 
scuffle,  the  exchange  of  several  blows  which  did  little 


TURNING   THE   TABLES  73 

damage,  and  in  a  trice  Semmel  and  Peterson  were 
thrown  down  into  the  hold  bodily,  and  the  ladder 
was  hauled  up  out  of  their  reach. 

•"  Put  that  hatch  over  the  opening,"  cried  Cap- 
tain Ponsberry  to  Larry.  "  And  then  go  into  the 
cabin  pantry  and  nail  up  that  door.  Be  quick  about 
it,  or  they  may  get  out ! " 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir ! "  cried  the  young  second  mate, 
and  ran  off  with  all  speed.  The  hatch  was  large  and 
heavy,  but  the  excitement  lent  him  strength  and  he 
dragged  it  forward  and  threw  it  over  the  hatch- 
way. 

"  Stop  dat !  "  roared  Semmel,  in  a  drunken  voice, 
but  Larry  paid  no  attention.  His  next  movement 
was  toward  the  cabin. 

"Don't  yo'  tech  me!"  roared  Jeff,  in  alarm. 
"  Oh,  it  am  yo' !  "  he  added,  as  he  recognized  Larry. 
"  How  am  de  battle  gwine?  " 

"  We've  got  'em  on  the  run — four  are  prisoners  in 
the  hold,"  was  Larry's  reply.  "  Get  me  that  box  of 
nails,  Jeff — I  must  put  that  door  back  as  it  was !  " 

"  Yes,  sah;  yes,  sah !  "  answered  the  cook,  eagerly, 
and  brought  forth  the  nails  in  question.  Then  he 
helped  to  put  the  door  into  place,  and  held  it  while 
Larry  nailed  the  barrier.  The  job  was  just  com- 
pleted when  the  young  second  mate  heard  voices 
from  the  hold. 


74  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  Hi,  dare,  you  let  us  out,"  came  from  Peterson. 
"  Ve  vill  mak  it  right,  yes !  " 

"  You  keep  quiet,"  ordered  Larry,  and  would  say 
no  more.  Against  the  door  he  and  Jeff  placed  sev- 
eral trunks  and  boxes  taken  from  the  staterooms 
opening  off  of  the  cabin. 

During  this  time  the  party  led  by  Captain  Pons- 
berry  had  attacked  the  balance  of  the  mutineers. 
There  was  a  brief  fight  and  Shamhaven  got  a  cutlass 
cut  on  the  knee.  But  then  the  men  surrendered, 
and  one  after  another  was  made  to  drop  down  into 
the  hold,  and  the  hatch  was  shut  and  battened  down. 

The  only  man  who  was  not  thus  made  a  prisoner 
was  Conroy,  who  begged  at  once  to  be  forgiven. 

"They  got  me  to  drink,  captain,"  he  pleaded. 
"  I  didn't  know  what  I  was  doing.  Forgive  it,  and 
I'll  be  the  best  man  you  ever  had  on  board." 

"  Can  I  depend  upon  you,  Conroy?"  asked  Cap- 
tain Ponsberry,  sternly. 

"  You  can,  sir — I  give  you  my  word  on  it." 

"  You  won't  try  to  help  the  mutineers  ?  " 

"  No,  sir ;  no,  sir !  " 

"  Very  well  then,  I'll  try  you.  But,  remember, 
if  you  try  any  dirty  work  it  will  go  hard  with  you. 
Now  tell  me,  was  Wilbur  in  favor  of  this  mutiny?  " 

"  No,  sir,  he  was  not.  Semmel  forced  him  into 
it" 


TURNING   THE   TABLES  75 

"What  of  the  others.  Who  were  the  ring- 
leaders?" 

"  Semmel  and  Peterson  and  Shamhaven.  The 
others  didn't  want  to  do  anything  but  complain  about 
the  grub,"  answered  Conroy,  and  then  told  the  par- 
ticulars of  the  mutiny  from  beginning  to  end. 


CHAPTER  IX 

CLOSE   TO   A    WATERSPOUT 

IT  was  decided  to  leave  the  mutineers  in  the  hold 
undisturbed  until  morning.  This  done,  those  who 
had  been  hurt  in  the  scrimmage  had  their  wounds  at- 
tended to,  and  then  Jeff  was  set  to  work  to  prepare 
a  good  meal  for  all  the  loyal  party.  The  galley 
was  in  a  state  of  disorder,  but  this  counted  for 
nothing,  and  Jeff  soon  had  matters  straightened 
out. 

After  so  much  excitement  nobody  thought  of  re- 
tiring. Luke  was  stationed  over  the  fore  hatch,  to 
give  warning  of  any  attempt  on  the  part  of  the 
mutineers  to  regain  their  liberty.  He  was  armed 
and  he  threatened  to  "  blow  the  hull  head  off  "  of 
anybody  who  dared  to  show  himself  or  make  a  noise. 
As  a  consequence  the  mutineers  did  nothing.  Two 
made  their  way  to  the  nailed-up  door,  but  finding 
they  could  not  open  it,  gave  up  the  attempt  as  a  bad 
job. 

As  a  punishment  for  his  misdeeds  Conroy  was 
kept  at  the  wheel  during  the  whole  of  the  night.  He 

76 


CLOSE   TO   A    WATERSPOUT  77 

was  willing  enough  to  do  the  extra  work  if  only  the 
captain  would  forgive  him  for  his  actions.  The 
master  of  the  ship  questioned  him  closely,  and  in  the 
end  reached  the  conclusion  that  only  Semmel,  Peter- 
son, and  Shamhaven  were  the  leaders  in  the  attempt 
to  seize  the  ship  and  that  the  others  had  followed 
after  them  like  so  many  sheep. 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  this,"  he  said  to  Grandon  and 
Larry.  "  I  think  after  I  read  them  a  strong  lecture 
they'll  behave  themselves." 

"  But  we  shall  have  to  watch  'em  closely,"  said 
the  first  mate. 

"  What  will  you  do  with  Semmel,  Peterson,  and 
Shamhaven?"  asked  Larry. 

"  Put  them  in  irons  and  keep  them  there  until  the 
end  of  the  trip.  When  we  reach  Nagasaki  they  can 
take  their  choice  of  leaving  or  of  being  kicked  off  the 
ship.  If  they  raise  a  row  I'll  hand  them  over  to 
the  authorities." 

"  You  ought  to  have  them  locked  up." 

"  True,  lad ;  but  with  this  war  on  hand  the  courts 
won't  want  to  bother  with  such  a  case." 

It  was  not  until  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  that 
Captain  Ponsberry  had  the  forward  hatch  raised 
once  more.  Those  below  were  almost  dying  for 
fresh  air  and  water. 

"  I  want  Wilbur  to  come  up,"  he  said. 


7o  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  Can't  we  have  some  water?  "  demanded  Sham- 
haven. 

"  Yes,  if  you'll  behave  yourselves,"  was  the  short 
answer. 

There  was  a  babble  of  voices,  but  the  master  of 
the  ship  paid  no  attention.  Each  man  who  had  been 
thrown  below  was  unarmed,  so  there  was  no  danger 
of  any  shooting.  Presently  Wilbur  came  up  the 
rope  ladder  thrown  to  him,  looking  sheepish 
enough. 

"  What  have  you  to  say  for  yourself?  "  demanded 
the  captain,  when  Wilbur  threw  himself  on  his 
knees. 

"  Don't  count  it  against  me,  cap' ! "  he  groaned. 
"  I  didn't  want  to  go  into  it,  I  tell  you !  I  didn't 
want  to  go  in ! " 

"  If  I  forgive  you,  will  you  give  me  your  word 
to  behave  yourself  ?  " 

"Yes,  sir!" 

"You  won't  do  any  more  underhanded 
work?" 

"  You  can  shoot  me  if  I  do,  captain." 

"  Very  well ;  I'll  remember  that.  Now  go  for- 
ward and  help  put  the  ship  in  good  order.  Larry, 
set  him  to  work,  and  see  that  he  does  just  what  you 
tell  him."  And  Wilbur  went  off,  with  the  young 
second  mate  following,  thanking  his  stars  that  he 


CLOSE  TO   A    WATERSPOUT  79 

had  not  been  swung  to  the  yardarm,  for  mutiny  on 
the  high  seas  is  a  capital  offense. 

One  by  one  the  mutineers  were  allowed  to  come 
on  deck,  until  only  Semmel,  Peterson,  and  Sham- 
haven  remained  below.  Those  to  come  up  pleaded 
to  be  forgiven  and  promised  to  obey  orders  in  the 
future  and  let  the  captain  run  the  ship  to  suit  him- 
self. 

During  the  night,  Groot  had  had  a  bitter  quarrel 
with  Semmel,  and  the  Russian  appeared  presently 
with  a  black  eye  and  two  of  his  front  teeth  loose. 
He  was  promptly  put  in  irons,  and  the  handcuffing 
of  Peterson  and  Shamhaven  followed. 

"  I  have  allowed  the  other  men  their  liberty  be- 
cause you  three  led  them  into  this  affair,"  said 
Captain  Ponsberry  to  the  trio  of  rascals.  "  I 
intend  to  keep  you  in  irons  until  the  end  of  the 
trip/' 

At  this  there  was  a  loud  complaint,  and  the  three 
made  all  manner  of  protestations,  but  the  master  of 
the  Columbia  was  obdurate,  and  at  last  threatened 
to  throw  them  into  the  hold  again.  This  quieted 
them  for  the  time  being,  and  after  being  given  a 
square  meal  and  a  drink  of  water,  they  were  marched 
off  to  the  brig,  which  was  cleaned  of  everything  else 
for  their  accommodation. 

Fortunately  for  the  Columbia  the  weather  re- 


8O  AT    THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

mained  fair,  so  that  the  loss  of  the  prisoners  was 
not  felt  when  it  came  to  handling  the  schooner. 
Those  who  had  mutinied  were  only  too  glad  to  get 
back  into  Captain  Ponsberry's  good  graces  and  they 
did  whatever  was  required  with  an  alacrity  which 
was  as  astonishing  as  it  was  gratifying.  They  ate 
whatever  was  set  before  them,  and  soon  reached 
the  conclusion  that  the  food  was  really  better  than 
they  deserved. 

"  We  were  fools  to  follow  Semmel,"  said  Wilbur ; 
and  Conroy  and  some  others  fully  agreed  with  him. 

But  though  it  now  looked  as  if  the  men  could  be 
trusted,  Captain  Ponsberry  determined  to  keep  his 
eyes  on  them.  Vincent  was  placed  at  the  head  of 
one  watch  and  Luke  at  the  head  of  the  other,  so 
that,  with  one  or  the  other  of  the  mates,  the  deck 
was  always  guarded  by  at  least  two  persons  that 
could  be  depended  upon. 

The  captain  had  hoped  for  favorable  breezes  fol- 
lowing the  heavy  storm,  but  these  did  not  come, 
and  day  after  day  passed  with  the  old  Columbia 
making  slow  progress  toward  Nagasaki.  Formosa 
was  passed  during  a  bit  of  thick  weather,  so  that 
nothing  was  seen  of  that  island.  Then  the  sun  came 
out  again,  hotter  than  ever,  so  that  Larry  was  glad 
to  keep  in  the  shade  as  much  as  possible. 

"  It's  not  so  exciting  as  it  was  a  few  days  ago," 


CLOSE   TO   A    WATERSPOUT  8 1 

remarked  Luke  to  Larry  one  day,  when  both  were 
seated  in  the  shade  of  the  forecastle. 

"  I  am  glad  that  mutiny  is  at  an  end,"  answered 
Larry.  "  It's  a  great  wonder  that  somebody  wasn't 
killed  or  seriously  wounded." 

"  The  men  didn't  have  their  hearts  in  the  rumpus, 
thet's  why,  Larry.  If  they  had  really  meant  busi- 
ness— well,  I  reckon  some  on  us  wouldn't  be  here 
now  to  tell  the  tale." 

"  I  think  Semmel  meant  business." 

"  Yes,  he's  a  heap  sight  worse  nor  any  o'  the 
others." 

"  It  was  a  mistake  to  take  him  on  board.  I  tell 
you,  a  captain  can't  be  too  careful  who  he  puts  in  his 
forecastle." 

"  Well,  you  know  the  reason — those  other  hands 
gettin'  sick  at  Manila.  But  I  can  tell  you,  I'd 
rather  have  a  crew  of  Americans  any  day." 

"  They  are  hard  to  get." 

"True  fer  you."  The  old  Yankee  tar  heaved  a 
sigh.  "  The  old  days  are  gone,  sure  enough.  My ! 
my !  what  times  we  used  to  have,  when  we'd  go  out, 
every  man  a-knowin'  every  other  man  on  the  ship, 
an'  all  about  him,  too!  Then  it  was  like  a  big 
family  settin'  sail.  Now,  if  you  go  on  a  new  ship 
ye  don't  know  nobody  an'  nobody  knows  nobody 
else." 


82  AT   THE   FALL  OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  I  guess  you  expect  to  live  and  die  a  sailor,  don't 
you,  Luke  ?  " 

"  Don't  know  but  what  I  do,  unless  somebody 
leaves  me  money  enough  to  live  like  a  millionaire," 
and  the  old  tar  grinned. 

Day  after  day  passed  and  the  Columbia  kept  on 
her  course,  making  as  straight  a  passage  for  Naga- 
saki as  possible.  One  day  there  would  be  a  fair 
breeze  and  the  next  a  dead  calm. 

"  This  is  unusual  weather  for  this  quarter  of  the 
globe,"  said  Captain  Ponsberry  to  Larry.  "  Like 
as  not  it  will  end  in  another  hurricane." 

"  In  that  case  what  will  you  do,  release  Semmel 
and  the  others  ?  " 

"  I  may  release  Peterson  and  Shamhaven,  but  not 
Semmel,  for  he  was  the  real  ringleader." 

There  were  strong  signs  of  a  storm  in  the  air  that 
night,  but  they  brought  forth  nothing,  and  on  the 
following  morning  the  sun  came  up  as  full  and  bright 
as  before.  The  breeze  came  by  fits  and  starts,  from 
first  one  direction  and  then  another,  and  the  man 
at  the  wheel  had  all  he  could  do  to  keep  the 
schooner  to  her  course.  Sails  were  shifted  half 
a  dozen  times,  but  without  making  any  improve- 
ment. 

"  The  weather  is  certainly  queer,"  said  Grandon. 
"  Puts  me  in  mind  of  the  time  I  was  caught  in  a 


CLOSE  TO   A   WATERSPOUT  83 

tidal  wave  in  the  South  Seas.  Before  the  wave 
struck  us  we  had  just  such  cuttings-up." 

"  I  trust  we  don't  strike  a  tidal  wave,"  answered 
Larry.  "If  it  was  high  enough  it  might  swamp 
us." 

"  True ;  but  when  you're  on  the  deep  blue  sea, 
lad,  you've  got  to  take  whatever  comes,"  replied 
the  first  mate,  solemnly. 

Dinner  was  a  quiet  affair  for  all  on  board,  and 
shortly  after  the  repast  Larry  went  to  the  forward 
deck,  to  have  another  chat  with  Luke.  While  the 
two  were  talking  they  were  joined  by  Captain  Pons- 
berry ;  and  soon  the  three  were  conversing  about  old 
times  once  more. 

"  Do  you  remember  the  swim  we  once  took  in  the 
Pacific  ?  "  said  Larry  to  Luke.  "  The  time  the  saw- 
fish smashed  the  boat  and  came  after  us  ?  " 

"  Reckon  I  do,"  was  the  Yankee  tar's  response. 
'*  We  had  a  lively  swim  fer  it,  didn't  we?  " 

"  And  the  time  we  visited  the  island  and  you 
turned  the  turtles?  "  went  on  Larry.  "  And  do  you 
remember  that  snake  that  chased  us  into  the  water  ?  " 

"  I  do,  Larry.  Tell  you  what,  we've  had  our 

share  of  adventures.  When  Admiral  Dewey 

What  is  it,  captain  ?  " 

Luke  broke  off  short  and  looked  at  Captain  Pons- 
berry  inquiringly.  The  master  of  the  Columbia  was 


84  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

gazing  over  the  port  bow  in  an  earnest,  puzzled 
fashion. 

"  Do  you  see  that  little  black  cloud,  Striker?  " 

"  I  do,  sir ! "  And  now  Luke  became  all  atten- 
tion and  so  did  Larry.  "  Kind  o'  funny  lookin', 
ain't  it?" 

"  It  is  odd,"  answered  the  captain.  "  Do  you 
see  how  it  seems  to  be  dancing  around  in  the  sky?  " 

"Is  it  a  cloud?"  questioned  Larry.  "If  so,  I 
never  saw  its  like  before." 

."  I'll  take  a  look  at  it  through  my  glass,"  went  on 
the  captain,  and  sent  a  sailor  for  the  article. 

The  cloud  came  swiftly  closer  and  they  heard  a 
most  unusual  roaring  and  hissing.  Then  of  a  sud- 
den the  cloud  seemed  to  dip  down  into  the  sea. 
When  it  came  up,  the  waters  of  the  ocean  followed, 
and  there  loomed  up  before  those  on  the  ship  a 
waterspout  ten  or  fifteen  feet  thick. 

"  A  waterspout ! "  cried  half  a  dozen  in  concert. 

"  And  a  mighty  powerful  one,  too,"  said  the  cap- 
tain. "  I  trust  it  don't  come  this  way." 

"  It  is  coming  this  way !  "  yelled  Larry.  "  Look ! 
look!" 

The  young  second  mate  was  right,  the  waterspout 
appeared  to  be  headed  directly  for  the  schooner. 
But  then  it  shot  off  to  the  westward,  churning  the 
water  into  a  foam  behind  it. 


CLOSE   TO   A    WATERSPOUT  8$ 

"  It's  going  away,"  murmured  Luke,  when  once 
more  the  waterspout  made  a  curve  and  then  shot 
directly  toward  them.  It  was  off  the  port  bow  and 
less  than  a  hundred  feet  away.  It  looked  as  if  the 
old  Columbia  was  surely  doomed! 


CHAPTER  X 

SOMETHING  ABOUT  WAR  AND  FIGHTING  SHIPS 

"  IT'S  going  to  strike  the  ship !  " 

"  It  will  cut  us  to  pieces ! " 

"  Throw  the  schooner  over  on  the  other  tack ! " 

These  and  several  other  cries  rang  out  on  the 
deck  of  the  Columbia.  All  felt  their  hearts  come 
up  into  their  throats  as  the  roaring,  swirling  mass 
of  water  came  closer  and  closer,  until  the  spray 
drenched  them  completely.  The  ocean  was  churned 
into  a  white  foam  and  the  wind  seemed  to  suck  and 
blow  in  all  directions  at  once. 

But,  just  as  it  looked  as  if  the  schooner  would  be 
buried  beneath  a  veritable  mountain  of  water,  the 
waterspout  took  another  curve  and  slid  away,  along 
the  side  of  the  ship  and  off  the  stern.  The  man  at 
the  wheel  came  close  to  being  carried  overboard  by 
the  deluge  he  received  and  the  Columbia  bobbed 
up  and  down  like  a  cork.  But  in  another  mo- 
ment the  waterspout  was  an  eighth  of  a  mile 
distant. 

"  What  a — a  narrow  escape,"   faltered  Larry, 

86 


SOMETHING   ABOUT   WAR  87 

when  he  felt  able  to  speak.  "  I  thought  we  were 
bound  for  the  bottom  sure !  " 

"  Thet's  the  closest  I  ever  was  to  any  water- 
spout," came  from  Luke,  as  he  wiped  his  wet  brow. 
"  Reckon  we  can  thank  Providence  we  ain't  in  Davy 
Jones'  locker  this  minit !  " 

Captain  Ponsberry  did  not  say  much,  but  kept  his 
eyes  fixed  on  the  waterspout,  which  was  making  fan- 
tastic curves  across  the  bosom  of  the  Pacific.  At 
times  it  was  close  by  and  then  it  would  go  half  a 
mile  or  more  away.  It  was  a  fascinating  scene,  full 
of  dread,  and  gave  more  than  one  onlooker  a  chill 
down  his  backbone. 

"  I  wish  it  would  go  away  completely,"  went  on 
Larry. 

But  this  was  not  to  be.  The  waterspout  kept 
within  sight  for  a  good  half-hour,  although  it  did 
not  come  near  them  again.  At  last  it  grew  less  and 
less,  off  to  the  southwestward,  and  finally  vanished 
altogether.  The  glass  was  used  in  that  direction, 
but  nothing  save  a  clear  horizon  could  be  located. 

"  We  are  clear  of  it  at  last,"  said  Captain  Pons- 
berry, and  breathed  a  long  sigh  of  relief. 

"  Waterspouts  are  mighty  dangerous  things," 
said  Grandon,  after  the  scare  was  over.  "  When  I 
was  on  board  of  the  brig  Ben  Franklin  we  ran  into 
a  spout  off  the  coast  of  Brazil,  and  it  knocked  off 


88  AT    THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

the  bow  and  the  forward  rail  and  nearly  sank 
us." 

"  I  met  one  once,  off  the  coast  of  Cuba,"  said  the 
captain.  "  That  went  ashore  and  tore  up  the  trees 
like  so  many  weeds  for  a  hundred  feet  around.  A 
waterspout  is  nothing  to  be  fooled  with,  I  can  tell 
you." 

On  the  day  following  the  appearance  of  the  water- 
spout the  weather  changed.  There  was  a  slight 
storm  and  then  a  stiff  breeze  sprang  up  which  was 
cheering  to  all  on  board.  Every  stitch  of  canvas 
on  the  Columbia  was  spread  and  the  schooner  bowled 
along  right  merrily. 

"  I'd  like  to  know  how  this  war  is  going  on,  and 
how  Ben  and  Gilbert  are  faring,"  said  Larry  to 
Captain  Ponsberry.  "  A  whole  lot  may  have  hap- 
pened since  we  left  Manila." 

"  Well,  you'll  probably  get  word  from  your 
brother  when  you  reach  Nagasaki,  lad;  and  we'll 
get  word  from  Captain  Pennington,  too." 

"  I  hope  neither  of  them  has  been  wounded." 

"  So  do  I ;  but  when  one  goes  to  the  front  he  has 
got  to  put  up  with  the  fortunes  of  war.  Being  a 
soldier  of  fortune,  as  it  is  called,  is  no  baby  busi- 
ness." 

"  Do  you  suppose  the  Japs  are  continuing  to 
bombard  Port  Arthur?" 


SOMETHING   ABOUT   WAR  89 

"  More  than  likely — if  the  place  hasn't  fallen  into 
their  hands.  They  want  to  make  sure  of  their  foot- 
ing in  lower  Manchuria,  and  they  can  never  do  that 
so  long  as  the  Russians  hold  a  single  seaport  down 
there." 

"  I  suppose  Russia  has  a  pretty  good-sized  navy 
as  well  as  an  army?  " 

"  Yes,  Larry,  one  of  the  largest  navies  in  the 
world.  But  their  fighting  ships  are  no  better  than 
the  ships  of  Japan.  You  see,  the  Japanese  navy  is 
not  near  as  old  as  the  navy  of  Russia.  Almost  all 
of  the  ships  are  of  the  up-to-date  types.  Most  of 
them  have  been  built  since  the  war  between  Japan 
and  China  in  1894  and  1895." 

"  That  would  make  them  only  about  ten  years 
old." 

"  Exactly,  and  I've  been  told  that  some  of  the 
ships  in  the  Russian  navy  are  twenty  and  thirty 
years  old.  More  than  this,  all  of  the  Japanese  guns 
are  of  the  latest  pattern — just  as  they  are  on  our 
new  warships." 

"  I'd  like  to  go  aboard  of  a  Japanese  war- 
ship," cried  the  young  second  mate,  enthusiasti- 
cally. 

"  Want  to  see  if  it's  as  good  as  it  was  aboard  of 
the  Olympia,  eh?" 

"  Yes,  sir.     Of  course  the  Olympia  was  old,  espe- 


9O  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

daily  alongside  of  the  Brooklyn,  on  which  my 
brother  Walter  served  in  Cuban  waters,  but  even 
so  she  was  a  bang-up  fighting  machine.  If  she 
hadn't  been  she  wouldn't  have  done  her  share  in 
sinking  that  Spanish  fleet  in  Manila  Bay." 

"  Well,  you  may  have  a  chance  to  go  aboard  of  a 
Japanese  ship  while  we  stop  at  Nagasaki.  There 
must  be  a  number  of  them  at  that  port,  coaling  up 
and  taking  war  supplies  aboard." 

"  How  long  do  you  think  it  will  be  before  we 
reach  that  port  ?  " 

"  That  will  depend  entirely  upon  the  wind,  as  you 
know.  If  we  get  just  what  we  need  we  may  reach 
there  inside  of  four  or  five  days,"  answered  Cap- 
tain Ponsberry. 

As  Peterson  and  Shamhaven  were  now  behaving 
themselves  they  were  allowed  to  come  out  of  the 
brig  and  do  some  work  on  the  deck  every  morning 
and  afternoon.  Both  begged  the  captain  to  forgive 
them,  but  the  master  of  the  Columbia  would  promise 
nothing. 

"  You  went  into  this  with  your  eyes  wide  open," 
he  said.  "  Now  you  can  line  up  and  take  your 
medicine." 

Semmel  was  exceedingly  bitter  at  not  being  al- 
lowed his  liberty  for  at  least  a  few  hours  a  day  and 
said  he  would  denounce  the  captain  at  the  first  op- 


SOMETHING   ABOUT   WAR  91 

portunity.  But  Captain  Ponsberry  soon  cut  him 
short. 

"  You  keep  a  civil  tongue  in  your  head,"  he  said, 
sternly.  "  Unless  you  do,  I'll  put  you  down  on 
hard-tack  and  water."  And  thereupon  Semmel  be- 
came sullenly  silent. 

Towards  evening  of  the  day  upon  which  Larry 
had  the  conversation  about  warships  with  Captain 
Ponsberry  a  Chinese  junk,  heavily  laden  with  grass- 
covered  boxes,  was  passed.  Nobody  on  board  could 
speak  English,  so  the  hail  that  was  sent  over  the 
water  brought  no  results. 

"  We  are  getting  closer  to  the  coast  shipping," 
said  the  master  of  the  Columbia.  "  I  suppose  we'll 
meet  quite  a  few  vessels  from  now  on." 

During  the  night  an  unexpected  gale  came  up 
and  the  schooner  was  blown  far  out  of  her  course. 
The  gale  came  from  the  westward,  so  the  vessel  was 
blown  to  the  east. 

"  This  will  make  the  trip  a  day  or  two  longer," 
grumbled  Grandon,  after  the  gale  had  spent  itself. 

"  Yes,  but  as  we  didn't  lose  a  spar  or  a  rag  of 
canvas  we  can  be  thankful  that  it  is  no  worse,"  re- 
sponded Larry,  who  was  always  ready  to  look  on 
the  bright  side. 

The  gale  subsided  after  a  blow  of  twenty-four 
hours  and  then  the  bow  of  the  Columbia  was  once 


9*  AT    THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

more  set  towards  her  destination.  Only  a  few  knots 
had  been  covered  when  the  lookout  reported  a  ves- 
sel in  sight. 

"  It's  a  steamer ! "  cried  Larry,  for  the  smoke 
from  the  craft's  funnels  was  plainly  to  be  seen. 

"  Maybe  she's  a  warship,"  returned  Tom  Gran- 
don,  who  was  beside  him.  "  If  so,  I  hope  she's  a 
Japanese." 

The  steamer  was  coming  along  at  a  good  rate  of 
speed  and  soon  they  made  her  out  to  be  a  British 
vessel.  She  was  a  "  tramp,"  that  is,  a  vessel  go- 
ing from  port  to  port,  picking  up  whatever  cargo 
can  be  found. 

"  Ahoy,  there ! "  cried  Captain  Ponsberry,  as  the 
tramp  slowed  up.  "What  ship  is  that?" 

"  The  Lord  Duffield"  was  the  answer.  "  What 
ship  is  that?" 

"  The  Columbia." 

"  Where  are  you  bound  ?  " 

"  For  Nagasaki.     And  you  ?  " 

"  For  Hong-Kong." 

A  little  more  talk  followed,  and  the  captain  of  the 
Lord  Dufheld  vouchsafed  the  information  that  he 
had  sighted  a  Russian  warship  the  day  before. 

"  A  warship !  "  murmured  Larry. 

"  Which  way  was  she  bound  ?  "  asked  Captain 
Ponsberry,  anxiously. 


SOMETHING   ABOUT   WAR  93 

"  I  can't  tell  you.  She  stopped  us  and  asked  a 
few  questions  and  then  slipped  away  in  the  dark- 
ness." 

"  What  warship  was  she  ?  " 

"  The  Pocastra,  from  Vladivostok.  I  think  she 
used  to  be  in  the  merchant  service  and  was  built 
over  for  the  navy." 

The  captain  of  the  British  steamer  could  give  no 
further  information,  and  so  resumed  his  course,  and 
the  master  of  the  Columbia  did  likewise. 

"  Ain't  very  nice  news,  is  it?  "  said  Tom  Grandon. 

"  It's  very  unpleasant  news,"  returned  Captain 
Ponsberry,  with  a  shrug  of  his  shoulders. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  about  it?  " 

"  What  can  we  do,  Tom  ?  Trust  to  luck  that  we 
get  into  Nagasaki  harbor,  or  some  other  port,  in 
safety." 

"  We'll  have  to  keep  a  sharp  lookout  for  any- 
thing that  looks  like  a  warship,  unless,  of  course, 
she  flies  a  Japanese  flag." 

Word  was  passed  around  to  those  who  could  be 
trusted,  and  all  day  long  one  of  the  mates  and  a 
foremast  hand  were  kept  on  the  lookout,  taking  turns 
at  looking  through  the  best  glass  the  schooner  pos- 
sessed. 

"  This  is  almost  as  exciting  as  being  in  a  war," 
said  Larry,  when  he  was  on  duty  with  Luke. 


94  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  Don't  you  know  how  we  looked  for  the  Spanish 
ships?" 

"  Yes,  lad ;  but  if  we  sight  a  Russian  warship  it 
will  be  small  fighting  we'll  do,  to  my  way  of  think- 
ing." 

"Oh,  we  won't  be  able  to  fight  at  all.  We'll 
simply  have  to  rely  on  our  wits  to  keep  us  out  of  be- 
ing gobbled  up  as  a  prize  of  war,"  responded  the 
young  second  mate. 


CHAPTER  XI 

AN  ORDER  TO  LAY-TO 

WHEN  taking  on  his  cargo  at  Manila,  Captain 
Ponsberry  had  considered  the  possibility  of  being 
captured  by  a  Russian  warship,  and  had  talked  the 
matter  over  with  the  agents  of  the  Richmond  Im- 
porting Company  and  with  a  Japanese  official  who 
was  doing  business  on  the  sly  in  the  Philippines. 

The  Japanese  Government  was  willing  to  pay  for 
the  cargo,  whether  it  was  delivered  or  not — pre- 
suming it  was  "  gobbled  up  "  by  the  Russians,  but 
was  not  willing  to  pay  for  the  ship  if  the  vessel  was 
taken  as  a  prize  of  war. 

"  That  is  a  risk  you  must  take  yourself,"  said  the 
Japanese  official.  "  We  are  willing  to  pay  a  high 
price  for  the  cargo — we  cannot  do  more."  And 
so  the  risk — so  far  as  the  schooner  went — was  di- 
vided equally  between  the  Richmond  Importing 
Company  and  Captain  Ponsberry  and  the  other  own- 
ers of  the  Columbia. 

As  nearly  the  captain's  whole  wealth  was  tied  up 
in  his  share  of  the  schooner,  he  was  naturally  anx- 

95 


90  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

ious  to  make  a  safe  trip,  and  he  often  came  on  deck 
to  aid  the  lookouts  in  watching  for  the  possible  ap- 
pearance of  an  enemy. 

"  If  you  see  the  least  thing  that  looks  suspicious, 
tell  me  at  once,"  was  his  order,  and  it  was  strictly 
obeyed.  As  a  consequence  they  ran  away  from  two 
steamers  that  afternoon  and  another  steamer  the 
next  morning — all  too  far  off  to  show  exactly  what 
they  were. 

"  This  isn't  bringing  us  much  nearer  to  port," 
said  Larry  to  Cal  Vincent,  who  was  using  the  glass 
at  the  time.  "  I  don't  believe  we  have  made  a 
dozen  knots  since  yesterday." 

"  Well,  the  old  man  is  a  bit  nervous,"  responded 
the  boatswain,  in  a  low  voice.  "  And  I  don't  blame 
him.  It's  no  small  matter  to  lose  your  craft  and  be 
thrown  into  prison  in  the  bargain." 

"  Would  they  dare  to  throw  us  into  prison  ?  " 

"  To  be  sure, — if  they  could  prove  that  we  were 
aiding  the  Japs." 

"  Well,  they'll  have  hard  work  proving  that." 

An  hour  went  by  and  it  began  to  grow  misty. 
Then  came  a  call  from  the  bow. 

"Sail  in  sight!" 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  demanded  the  captain  instantly. 

"  A  big  steamer  o'  some  sort." 

Captain  Ponsberry  ran  forward  and  took  the  glass. 


AN    ORDER    TO    LAY-TO  97 

For  fully  two  minutes  he  did  not  speak  and  then  he 
drew  a  long  breath  and  put  down  the  glass. 

"  I'm  afraid  she's  a  warship,"  he  exclaimed,  and 
his  voice  sounded  unnatural. 

"  A  warship !  "  echoed  Larry.  "  Will  you  let  me 
look?" 

He  did  so,  and  it  was  not  long  before  he  could 
make  out  the  approaching  craft  quite  clearly. 

"  Well  ?  "  demanded  Grandon,  who  knew  that 
Larry's  eyes  were  unusually  strong. 

"  I  reckon  the  captain  is  right." 

"A  warship?" 

"  Yes,  not  a  very  large  affair,  but  still  a  warship. 
I  shouldn't  be  surprised  if  she  was  the  converted 
vessel  the  Lord  Duffield  sighted." 

"Just  what  I  think,"  put  in  Captain  Ponsberry. 
"  We've  got  to  do  our  best  to  show  her  a  clean  pair 
of  heels." 

"  The  mist  may  help  us  to  run  away,"  suggested 
Grandon. 

"  Let  us  hope  so." 

Necessary  orders  were  given,  and  soon  the  Co- 
lumbia swung  around  on  another  tack,  so  that  she 
had  the  large  vessel  on  her  starboard  quarter.  But 
this  movement  was  evidently  noted  by  the  stranger, 
and  the  latter  headed  directly  for  the  schooner  once 
more. 


98  AT  THE  FALL  OF   PORT  ARTHUR 

"  She  is  after  us,  that  is  positive,"  said  Captain 
Ponsberry. 

"  There  is  a  bank  of  mist  over  to  the  northward," 
returned  Larry.  "  Why  not  run  into  that  ?  " 

"  Well  spoken,  lad;  we'll  do  it,  and  as  soon  as  the 
mist  hides  us  we  can  go  over  on  the  other  tack  and 
throw  her  off  the  scent." 

The  mist  the  young  second  mate  had  mentioned 
was  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away  and  it  was  a 
question  whether  they  could  reach  it  before  the 
stranger  came  up.  But  fortune  favored  those  on 
the  schooner.  The  mist  rolled  toward  them,  and  in 
less  than  two  minutes  they  were  hidden  as  com- 
pletely as  could  be  desired. 

"  Now  to  get  entirely  out  of  the  way,"  exclaimed 
Captain  Ponsberry,  and  lost  not  a  moment  in  having 
the  sails  shifted  and  a  new  course  set.  Through 
the  mist  they  heard  the  other  vessel  steaming  around 
noisily  and  did  their  best  to  keep  as  far  away  as  pos- 
sible from  the  sound. 

All  during  that  evening  and  the  night  to  follow 
the  Columbia  kept  to  her  new  course.  This  was 
taking  her  away  from  Nagasaki,  but  this  could  not 
he  helped.  The  captain  said  if  it  became  absolutely 
necessary  he  would  run  into  some  other  Japanese 
port. 

When  daybreak  came  the  mist  was  as  thick  as 


AN    ORDER    TO   LAY-TO  99 

ever.  But  there  were  signs  that  it  would  not  last 
much  longer,  and  by  nine  o'clock  the  sun  was  strug- 
gling to  come  through  the  clouds.  Nearly  every- 
body was  on  deck,  for  they  realized  that  a  fatal 
moment  might  be  at  hand. 

"There  she  is!" 

The  cry  came  from  half  a  dozen  throats  simultane- 
ously. There,  on  the  port  bow,  loomed  up  the 
stranger,  not  an  eighth  of  a  mile  away.  That  she 
was  a  warship  there  was  no  longer  any  doubt,  for 
her  forward  guns  were  plainly  to  be  seen. 

"  We're  caught  now ! "  muttered  Tom  Grandon. 

"  Not  yet !  "  cried  the  captain,  and  gave  orders  to 
throw  the  Columbia  over  on  a  new  course.  But 
scarcely  had  this  movement  been  made  when  there 
was  a  puff  of  smoke  from  the  warship,  a  report,  and 
a  shot  flew  in  front  of  the  schooner's  bow. 

"  There's  our  order  to  lay-to !  "  ejaculated  Larry. 
"  Whoever  she  is,  she  means  business." 

As  the  Columbia  did  not  stop,  another  shot  was 
fired,  this  time  just  grazing  the  bow.  Seeing  there 
was  no  help  for  it,  Captain  Ponsberry  gave  the 
necessary  orders,  and  down  came  one  sail  after 
another. 

As  this  was  done  the  warship  swung  around  and 
then  those  on  the  schooner  saw  that  she  flew  the 
flag  of  Russia. 


IOO  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  A  Russian  warship !  "  ejaculated  half  a  dozen. 

"  This  looks  to  me  as  if  the  jig  was  up,"  mur- 
mured Tom  Grandon. 

As  quickly  as  it  could  be  done,  Captain  Pons- 
berry  assembled  his  men  on  deck. 

"  Men,"  he  said,  briefly,  "  the  officers  on  board 
of  that  warship  wish  to  find  out  what  they  can  about 
us.  If  you  are  asked  questions  say  nothing-  more 
than  that  you  shipped  for  the  voyage  to  Nagasaki 
and  San  Francisco,  and  that  you  know  nothing  about 
the  cargo.  Do  you  understand  ?  " 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir,"  came  from  those  who  were 
listening. 

•"  I  must  depend  upon  you  to  help  save  the  ship. 
If  the  Columbia  is  suspected  of  being  in  the  employ 
of  the  Japanese  Government,  or  of  carrying  a  cargo 
for  that  nation,  she  will  be  taken  as  a  prize  of  war 
and  we'll  go  to  a  Russian  prison  most  likely." 

"  I  don't  want  to  go  to  no  Russian  prison ! " 
cried  out  Wilbur,  his  face  turning  pale.  "  I  ain't 
done  nothing  wrong !  " 

"  Then  keep  your  tongue  from  wagging  too  much, 
Wilbur,"  answered  the  master  of  the  schooner, 
grimly. 

"  There  ain't  no  use  o'  fighting,  is  there?  "  asked 
Groot. 

"  Fighting?  "  came  from  Tom  Grandon.    "  What 


AN   ORDER   TO   LAY-TO  IOI 

could  the  old  Columbia  do  against  a  man-o'-war? 
Why,  they'd  blow  us  sky  high  in  no  time !  " 

"  No,  there  is  absolutely  no  use  of  attempting  to 
fight,"  answered  Captain  Ponsberry.  "  Our  only 
hope  lays  in  convincing  them  that  they  have  no  right 
to  stop  us." 

The  hands  were  dismissed  and  sent  forward,  and 
Captain  Ponsberry  hurried  below,  to  burn  certain 
papers  and  secrete  others.  This  was  in  accordance 
with  the  orders  received  from  the  agents  of  the 
Richmond  Importing  Company  at  Manila. 

In  the  meantime  the  Russian  warship  had  come 
to  a  stop  in  mid-ocean  and  now  a  small  boat  was 
lowered,  containing  a  small  crew,  a  coxswain,  and  a 
Russian  naval  officer.  At  the  same  time  a  signal 
was  hoisted  which  meant  that  the  officer  was  coming 
on  board  of  the  schooner. 

"  Unless  I  miss  my  guess,  this  looks  rather  black 
for  us,"  said  Larry,  to  Tom  Grandon. 

"  I  agree  with  you,  Larry,"  responded  the  first 
mate.  "  But  we've  got  to  take  our  medicine,  no 
matter  how  bitter  it  is." 

"  If  only  that  mist  had  held  on  to-day !  We 
might  have  slipped  by  that  warship  nicely." 

"  I  only  hope  the  old  man  fixes  up  his  papers  so 
that  he  can  show  a  clean  bill  of  health,"  went  on 
Grandon.  "  You  see,  if  they  can't  actually  prove 


IO2  AT   THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

something  against  us,  they  won't  dare  to  touch  us. 
They  know  what  Old  Glory  means,  and  Russia  has 
no  desire  just  now  to  get  into  trouble  with  Uncle 
Sam." 

"  The  worst  of  it  is,  our  cargo  may  look  too  sus- 
picious to  them.  Under  ordinary  circumstances 
they  know  that  the  Columbia  wouldn't  be  carrying 
such  a  line  of  goods  in  these  waters." 

"  That's  true,  too." 

"  Besides  that,  they  may  have  had  an  agent  at 
Nagasaki  and  at  Manila  spying  on  us.  They  may 
know  just  what  is  being  done.  The  Czar's  follow- 
ers are  mighty  slick,  I  can  tell  you." 

Captain  Ponsberry  now  came  on  deck  and  gave 
quick  orders  that  the  sailors  should  be  lined  up,  to 
receive  the  visitor  in  a  befitting  manner. 

"  A  little  goose  grease  may  help,"  he  drawled, 
with  a  knowing  glance  at  Grandon  and  Larry. 

The  foremast  hands  did  not  know  much  about 
lining  up,  but  took  the  places  assigned  to  them,  on 
the  forward  deck.  Over  the  side  a  rope  ladder  was 
thrown,  and  then  Captain  Ponsberry,  Tom  Grandon, 
and  Larry  awaited  the  arrival  of  the  Russian  naval 
officer  with  keen  interest 


CHAPTER  XII 

TAKEN  AS  A  PRIZE  OF  WAR 

SLOWLY  but  surely  the  small  boat  came  closer  to 
the  schooner.  She  rode  the  long  swells  of  the  Pa- 
cific with  full  grace,  and  Larry  could  not  help  but 
admire  the  long,  sturdy  strokes  of  the  jackies,  as 
they  bent  to  their  task. 

"  I  don't  know  but  that  they  can  handle  a  small 
boat  as  well  as  our  own  jackies,"  said  Larry. 

"  Why  shouldn't  they  ?  Russian  naval  training 
ought  to  be  first-class,"  answered  Tom  Grandon. 
"  They  have  been  at  it  longer  than  Uncle  Sam." 

"  True,  but  that  doesn't  always  count.  Spain  had 
been  at  it  longer  than  we  had,  too,  but  when  it  came 
to  war  we  beat  her  in  double-quick  order." 

As  the  small  boat  came  closer  they  saw  that  the 
jackies  were  mostly  men  of  middle  age.  But  the 
coxswain  was  younger  and  so  was  the  naval  officer, 
who  was  gazing  rather  anxiously  toward  the 
schooner,  as  if  wondering  what  the  result  of  his  mis- 
sion would  be. 

"  Wonder  if  that  chap  can  talk  English  ?  "  queried 
103 


IO4  AT   THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

the  first  mate.  "  If  he  can't  the  old  man  will  be  up 
a  tree,  for  none  of  us  can  talk  Russian." 

"  I  reckon  Peterson  and  Semmel  can  talk  it,"  an- 
swered Larry.  "  But  we  don't  want  either  of  those 
rascals  to  open  his  mouth." 

At  last  the  small  boat  came  up  alongside  of  the 
Columbia.  It  was  no  easy  matter  to  catch  the  rope 
ladder  without  getting  bumped,  but  it  was  success- 
fully accomplished,  and  then  the  Russian  officer  lost 
no  time  in  coming  on  board.  He  at  once  saluted, 
and  Captain  Ponsberry  and  his  mates  did  the  same, 
and  the  sailors  in  the  background  did  likewise. 

"What  ship  is  this?"  asked  the  Russian  naval 
officer,  after  a  few  necessary  formalities  were  at  an 
end. 

"  The  American  schooner  Columbia,"  answered 
Captain  Ponsberry. 

"  Would  you  mind  telling  me  for  what  port  you 
are  bound?  "  went  on  the  naval  officer,  who  could 
speak  fairly  good  English. 

"  We  are  bound  for  San  Francisco,  with  a  stop- 
over at  Nagasaki." 

"  Ah !  What  sort  of  a  cargo  are  you  carrying  to 
Nagasaki  ?  " 

"  One  belonging  to  the  firm  for  which  the  Co- 
lumbia is  in  commission." 

"  The  name  of  the  firm,  please  ?  " 


TAKEN    AS   A    PRIZE   OF    WAR  10$ 

"  The  Richmond  Importing  Company." 

"  Ah ! "  said  the  naval  officer  again,  and  looked 
slightly  displeased.  As  it  happened  he  had  a  brother 
in  the  army  at  Port  Arthur,  and  had  heard  of  the 
doings  of  Gilbert  Pennington  at  that  place,  and  of 
how  the  young  American  had  accused  certain  Rus- 
sians of  trying  to  cheat  the  company  he  represented. 

"  What  warship  do  you  come  from?  "  demanded 
Captain  Ponsberry,  feeling  that  he  had  an  equal 
right  to  ask  questions. 

"  The  auxiliary  cruiser,  Pocastra,  of  the  Russian 
navy,"  answered  the  naval  officer,  politely. 

"  And  where  are  you  bound  ?  "  went  on  Captain 
Ponsberry,  bluntly. 

"  That,  sir,  is  a  question  only  our  commander, 
Captain  Titorsky,  can  answer." 

"  It's  queer  you  are  steaming  around  in  Japanese 
waters." 

"  Perhaps  so."  The  Russian  naval  officer  smiled 
in  a  knowing  way.  "  Captain  Ponsberry,  I  am 
sorry,  but  I  think  I  shall  have  to  inspect  your 
papers." 

Captain  Ponsberry  drew  himself  up,  resolved  to 
put  on  as  bold  a  front  as  possible. 

"  This  is  an  American  ship,  sir." 

"  Granted,  but  I  have  my  orders,"  returned  the 
naval  officer,  coldly. 


IO6  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  If  I  refuse  to  let  you  inspect  the  papers  ?  " 

The  young  Russian  officer  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  We  shall  be  under  the  painful  necessity  of  com- 
pelling you  to  show  them." 

"  You  threaten  me — an  American  captain !  " 

"  There  is  no  help  for  it — I  am  simply  obeying 
orders.  We  inspect  all  ships  that  we  find  in  this 
vicinity." 

"  Do  you  know  I  can  make  you  pay  dearly  for 
this  outrage?  " 

"  You  cannot  call  it  an  outrage.  You  are  in 
Japanese  waters,  Japan  and  Russia  are  at  war. 
You  knew  that  before  you  came  into  these  waters. 
Am  I  to  see  the  papers  or  not  ?  " 

The  commander  of  the  Columbia  knew  that  the 
Russian  naval  officer  spoke  the  truth.  Yet  he  made 
one  more  effort. 

"  Very  well ;  I  will  show  my  papers,  but  I  shall 
insist  upon  you  signing  a  paper  that  your  ship  held 
us  up." 

"  You  can  send  the  paper  to  my  ship  for  such  a 
signature  from  my  captain,"  said  the  Russian,  eva- 
sively. 

By  this  time  four  of  the  jackies  of  the  small  boat 
had  come  on  board.  All  were  armed  and  they  lined 
up  at  the  rail,  close  to  the  rope  ladder.  They  were 
good-natured  sailors  and  grinned  broadly  at  the 


TAKEN   AS   A   PRIZE   OF   WAR  IO/ 

hands  on  the  Columbia.  Not  one  could  speak  a 
word  of  English,  so  conversation  with  them  was  im- 
possible. 

Captain  Ponsberry  led  the  way  to  the  cabin  of 
the  Columbia  and  the  young  Russian  officer  fol- 
lowed. Getting  out  such  papers  as  had  been  pre- 
pared for  the  occasion,  the  master  of  the  schooner 
passed  them  over. 

"  These  are  correct  so  far  as  they  go,"  said  the 
Russian,  after  an  examination  lasting  ten  minutes 

had  been  made.  "  But "  he  paused.  "  You 

have  no  further  papers  ?  " 

"  Those  are  my  papers,  sir,"  answered  Captain 
Ponsberry,  briefly. 

"  Then  I  will  look  at  a  specified  list  of  your 
cargo." 

"  I  haven't  such  a  list,"  was  the  answer,  which 
was  true,  as  the  list  had  been  burnt  up  just  a  short 
while  before. 

At  this  statement  the  young  Russian  frowned. 
"  Every  ship  carries  such  a  list." 

"  Still,  I  haven't  any." 

"  In  that  case,  I  shall  have  to  order  an  inspection 
of  the  cargo." 

"  Sir,  you  are  going  too  far !  "  said  Captain  Pons- 
berry, sternly,  yet  he  knew  he  had  no  right  to  ex- 
pect anything  else. 


IO8  AT    THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  If  I  am  going  too  far,  I  am  able  to  take  the  con- 
sequences," returned  the  Russian,  who  was  acting 
strictly  under  orders. 

"Very  well,  sir;  you  can  look  the  cargo  over," 
answered  Captain  Ponsberry.  "  But  I  shall  hold 
Russia  accountable  for  the  outrage." 

The  Russian  naval  officer  bowed  and  hastened  up 
to  the  deck.  He  spoke  in  his  native  tongue  to  one 
of  the  jackies  who  carried  several  small  flags  under 
his  arm.  At  once  the  Jackie  began  to  wig-wag  to 
the  warship  for  further  instructions. 

"  Search  the  ship,"  came  back  the  order,  and  in 
a  few  minutes  more  another  small  boat  left  the  side 
of  the  Pocastra,  containing  an  officer  and  a  crew  of 
eight. 

"  We  are  in  for  it  now,  that  is  certain,"  observed 
Larry.  "  They  are  not  going  to  let  us  go  until  they 
are  sure  we  are  O.  K." 

The  second  boat  was  soon  alongside  of  the 
schooner,  and  the  officer  in  charge  and  four  men 
came  up  on  the  deck  and  joined  the  other  Russians 
already  there.  An  earnest  conversation  was  held 
between  the  two  officers. 

"  We'll  take  a  general  look  at  the  cargo,"  said  the 
one  who  had  just  arrived.  "  It  will  not  do  to  go  too 
far — in  case  we  find  everything  as  it  should  be.  We 
want  no  trouble  with  the  Yankee  government." 


TAKEN   AS   A   PRIZE   OF   WAR  1 09 

Captain  Ponsberry  was  asked  to  have  the  mizzen 
hatch  opened,  and  this  work  was  done  by  Luke 
Striker  and  several  others.  Then  two  of  the  Rus- 
sian sailors  were  sent  below,  and  one  of  the  officers 
went  along. 

In  the  meantime,  Peterson,  unknown  to  anybody 
on  board,  had  slipped  off  to  the  brig.  Here  he 
found  Ostag  Semmel  in  solitary  confinement. 

"  Semmel,  a  Russian  warship  is  close  at  hand," 
he  said,  hurriedly.  "  An  officer  and  some  men  have 
just  boarded  us." 

"  Release  me,  Peterson ! "  returned  the  Russian 
sailor.  "  Release  me  and  I  will  show  Captain 
Ponsberry  what  I  can  do !  " 

"  You  will  not  get  me  into  trouble?  "  questioned 
Peterson,  anxiously. 

"  No.  Quick — I  am  sure  we  can  make  money 
out  of  this." 

With  an  iron  bar,  Peterson  pried  off  the  lock 
which  had  been  put  on  the  door  of  the  brig,  and 
drew  back  the  bolt.  Then  Semmel  came  out  of  his 
prison,  with  his  hands  linked  together. 

As  he  was  making  his  way  to  the  stern  deck  Larry 
caught  sight  of  him. 

"  Stop !  "  he  called  out,  in  alarm,  realizing  what 
Semmel  might  do.  "  Stop,  Semmel  1 "  and  he  ran 
to  capture  the  rascal. 


HO  AT    THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  Get  out  da  vay !  "  roared  the  Russian  and  aimed 
a  blow  at  Larry's  head.  But  the  young  second  mate 
dodged  and  then  caught  the  Russian  by  the  legs, 
hurling  him  flat  on  his  breast.  But  now  Peterson 
came  behind  and  gave  Larry  a  vicious  kick  in  the 
side,  which  made  the  youth  let  go  his  hold. 

"What's  the  row  there?"  called  out  Captain 
Ponsberry,  and  looked  much  disturbed  to  see  the 
escaped  prisoner.  "  Put  him  back  where  he  came 
from!" 

"Help!"  yelled  Semmel,  in  Russian.  "Help, 
in  the  name  of  the  Czar!  I  am  a  Russian  subject! 
This  ship  is  in  the  employ  of  the  Japanese  Govern- 
ment ! " 

"  He  speaks  the  truth !  "  called  out  Peterson,  also 
in  Russian.  "  Help  us  and  protect  us  and  we  will 
prove  it !  "  And  he  ran  forward  to  where  the  Rus- 
sian officer  on  deck  was  standing. 

"  You  are  Russians  ?  "  asked  the  officer,  quickly. 

"  We  are." 

"  Then  I  shall  certainly  assist  you."  He  raised 
his  voice.  "  Let  that  man  go !  "  And  he  pointed 
at  Semmel,  now  surrounded  by  Larry,  Luke,  and 
Cal  Vincent. 

The  latter  words  were  uttered  in  English,  so  all 
of  our  friends  understood  them.  The  two  sailors 
looked  inquiringly  at  the  young  second  mate. 


TAKEN    AS   A    PRIZE   OF   WAR  III 

"  He  is  nothing  but  a  mutineer,"  said  Larry. 
"  We  locked  him  up  for  it.  He  ought  to  have  been 
strung  up  on  the  yardarm,"  he  added,  bitterly. 

By  this  time  Captain  Ponsberry  was  on  the  scene, 
and  those  who  had  gone  below  were  summoned  on 
deck  once  more.  The  captain  glared  at  Semmel, 
who  lost  no  time  in  shrinking  behind  the  Russian 
officers  for  protection. 

"  I  can  prove  the  cargo  on  this  ship  belongs  to  the 
Japanese  Government,"  said  Ostag  Semmel.  "  My 
friend  can  prove  it,  too,"  he  added,  pointing  to 
Peterson.  "  It  is  true  we  tried  to  seize  the  ship — 
to  take  her  to  Vladivostok,  or  some  other  Russian 
port,  as  a  prize." 

"  This  is  assuredly  interesting,"  said  the  leading 
Russian  officer.  "  Tell  me  your  tale  in  full." 

Despite  Captain  Ponsberry's  protests  Semmel  told 
his  story  in  his  own  way,  and  Peterson  corroborated 
it  in  every  detail.  Then  Shamhaven,  thinking  to 
curry  favor,  came  forward. 

"  They  tell  the  strict  truth,"  he  said.  "  I  worked 
with  them.  We  did  what  we  could  for  the  benefit 
of  the  Russian  Government.  Every  bit  of  cargo  on 
this  ship  belongs  to  the  Japanese  Government  and 
was  to  be  taken  ashore  at  Nagasaki.  The  last  cargo 
of  the  Columbia  was  also  sold  at  Nagasaki  to  the 
Japanese  Government." 


112  AT   THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"When  was  this?" 

"  About  two  months  ago." 

More  questions  were  put  to  Semmel,  Peterson, 
and  Shamhaven,  and  at  last  the  Russian  naval  offi- 
cer turned  grimly  to  Captain  Ponsberry. 

"  I  have  heard  their  story,  and  it  will  be  unneces- 
sary to  make  an  inspection  of  your  cargo,  since  they 
have  told  me  of  what  it  consists.  In  the  name  of 
Russia  I  claim  this  ship  as  a  prize  of  war,  and  you 
and  your  crew  must  consider  yourselves  prisoners." 


CHAPTER  XIII 


CAPTAIN  PONSBERRY  had  feared  the  result  ever 
since  the  unexpected  appearance  of  Ostag  Semmel, 
so  he  was  not  very  much  surprised  when  the  Russian 
naval  officer  stated  that  he  should  consider  the  Co- 
lumbia as  a  war  prize  and  place  those  on  board  under 
arrest  as  prisoners  of  war. 

"  This  is  a  high-handed  proceeding,"  said  he,  as 
calmly  as  possible,  although  his  mind  was  in  a 
whirl. 

"  I  do  not  think  so,"  answered  the  Russian  offi- 
cer. "  Do  you  submit  or  not?  " 

"  Since  it  would  be  useless  to  fight,  we  shall  have 
to  submit,"  answered  the  master  of  the  schooner. 
"  But,  remember,  I  shall  hold  you  and  the  Russian 
Government  responsible  for  all  you  do." 

"  As  you  have  said  that  before,  there  is  no  use  of 
repeating  it,  Captain  Ponsberry.  We  will  take  com- 
mand of  the  vessel  at  once." 

"  What  are  we  going  to  do?  "  whispered  Larry 
to  Tom  Grandon. 

»3 


114  AT   THE   FALL   OF   PORT   ARTHUR 

"  I  don't  know — follow  the  old  man,  I  reckon," 
answered  the  first  mate. 

"  We  shall  place  a  prize  crew  on  this  ship,"  went 
on  the  Russian  officer.  "  These  men  " — pointing 
to  Semmel,  Peterson,  and  Shamhaven — "  can  re- 
main on  board.  The  remainder  of  the  crew  and  the 
officers,  will  be  transferred  to  the  Pocastra.  I  will 
give  you  a  quarter  of  an  hour  in  which  to  attend  to 
your  luggage.  Please  take  no  more  along  than  is 
necessary." 

"  This  is  certainly  high-handed !  "  cried  Larry. 

"  So  we've  got  to  go  over  to  that  old  coal  box, 
eh  ? "  grumbled  Luke,  when  he  heard  the  news. 
"  It's  hard  luck,  Larry." 

"  You're  right,  Luke,  but  it  can't  be  helped." 

"  What  will  they  do  with  us  ?  " 

"  I  haven't  the  least  idea." 

"  Will  they  take  us  to  Russia?  " 

"  I  suppose  so— or  stow  us  away  in  one  of  those 
cold  and  dirty  Siberian  prisons  until  we  can  get 
Uncle  Sam  to  make  them  release  us." 

When  it  came  time  to  depart  from  the  Columbia 
Larry  was  allowed  to  take  only  a  bundle  of  clothing 
along,  and  Grandon  and  the  common  sailors  were 
treated  no  better.  The  captain  was  allowed  a 
trunk  and  a  suit  case.  In  the  meantime  Sem- 
mel was  questioned  once  more,  and  what  he  had 


PRISONERS   ON    THE  "  POCASTRA  "  11$ 

to  tell  made  the  Russians  look  darkly  at  our 
friends. 

"  He  is  pumping  all  sorts  of  falsehoods  into  them, 
I  suppose,"  said  Larry  to  Luke,  and  he  was  right. 
Semmel  made  it  appear  that  Captain  Ponsberry  was 
really  an  agent  of  the  Japanese  Government  and 
that  he  (Semmel)  had  done  his  best  to  gain  posses- 
sion of  the  ship  wholly  for  the  benefit  of  his  own 
country. 

"  If  you  really  did  this,  it  is  very  worthy  of  you," 
said  one  of  the  officers.  "  But  we  shall  have  to  in- 
vestigate before  we  accept  your  story  in  full."  This 
was  not  so  encouraging,  but  with  it  Ostag  Semmel 
had  to  be  content. 

Fearing  that  a  Japanese  warship  might  put  in  an 
appearance  at  any  moment,  the  Russians  lost  no  time 
in  transferring  the  officers  and  men  of  the  Columbia 
to  the  Pocastra  and  at  the  same  time  a  prize  crew 
of  two  officers  and  ten  men  were  taken  from  the 
warship  to  the  schooner.  Then  the  sails  of  the  Co- 
lumbia were  hoisted  and  off  she  set  to  the  eastward, 
and  the  warship  moved  in  the  same  direction. 

When  placed  aboard  the  Pocastra  Captain  Pons- 
berry was  treated  politely  and  given  a  small  room  of 
his  own.  But  the  mates  and  the  ordinary  seamen 
were  not  so  fortunate.  Grandon,  Larry,  and  Luke 
Striker  were  hustled  off  to  a  prison  pen  on  one  deck 


Il6  AT   THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

of  the  auxiliary  cruiser,  and  the  others  to  another 
pen  below,  which  was  even  worse. 

"  This  is  certainly  hard  luck,"  said  Larry,  as 
he  threw  his  bundle  into  a  corner  and  sat  down  on  an 
iron  bench,  while  Grandon  and  Luke  did  the  same. 
"  And  after  we  had  almost  reached  Nagasaki,  too !  " 

"  Well,  there  ain't  no  use  to  cry  over  spilt  milk," 
came  from  Luke.  "  We're  prisoners  o'  war,  an' 
I  reckon  as  how  we  have  got  to  make  the  best  o'  it. 
Ain't  the  first  time  we've  been  in  sech  a  fix." 

"  That  is  true,  Luke,  but  it  doesn't  help  the  matter 
any.  I  guess  we  have  seen  the  last  of  the  old  Co- 
lumbia" 

"  I  was  afraid  of  this  sort  of  thing  happening  ever 
since  we  left  Manila,"  came  from  Grandon.  "  I 
told  the  old  man  to  be  careful,  that " 

"  Hush !  "  whispered  Larry.  "  They  may  be  lis- 
tening— to  make  sure  that  they  have  caught  the 
right  parties." 

"  True  for  you,  Larry ;  I  won't  say  another  word 
about  that.  But  it  looks  dismal,  no  two  ways  on't," 
and  the  first  mate  drew  a  mountainous  sigh. 

The  prison  pen  into  which  they  had  been  placed 
was  an  iron  structure,  reaching  from  floor  to  ceiling, 
and  was  not  over  ten  feet  square.  It  had  a  solid 
back  and  the  remaining  three  sides  were  built  up 
of  stout  iron  bars,  only  a  couple  of  inches  apart 


PRISONERS   ON    THE  "  POCASTRA  "  1 1/ 

There  was  a  door  which  was  doubly  locked,  the  key 
being  held  by  a  petty  officer  who  could  speak  broken 
English  and  who  rejoiced  in  the  simple  name  of 
Rosenvischpoff.  For  short  Luke  nicknamed  him 
Rosey  and  this  name  stuck  to  him. 

"  Doesn't  look  as  if  a  fellow  could  break  out  of 
here  very  easily,"  said  Larry,  after  an  inspection  of 
their  prison.  "  This  is  a  regular  bank  vault." 

"  Wouldn't  do  you  any  good  to  break  out,"  re- 
turned Grandon.  "As  we  are  on  the  ocean,  where 
would  you  go  to  ?  " 

"  We  might  hide  until  the  vessel  made  a  landing." 

"  Humph,  and  that  would  be  in  some  Russian 
port,  so  you'd  be  just  as  bad  off." 

"  Well,  I'm  not  trying  to  escape  just  now.  I 
want  to  get  the  lay  of  the  land  first,  and  try  to  find 
out  what  they  are  going  to  do  with  us." 

From  Rosenvischpoff  they  learned  that  the 
Pocastra  was  one  of  a  large  number  of  steamers 
of  various  Russian  lines  which  had  been  lately 
pressed  into  the  service  of  the  national  navy.  She 
had  been  rushed  through  at  one  of  the  Russian  navy 
yards  and  provided  with  a  battery  of  four  small  and 
four  large  guns,  none,  however,  over  eight  inches. 
She  carried  a  crew  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  men, 
drafted  principally  from  other  warships.  She  had 
an  advertised  speed  of  twenty  knots  an  hour  but 


Il8  AT    THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

rarely  made  over  seventeen  or  eighteen.  She  was 
old  and  her  engines  were  constantly  in  need  of  re- 
pair, much  to  the  disgust  of  Captain  Titorsky,  her 
commander. 

"  Well,  Rosey,  how  goes  this  war?  "  asked  Luke, 
pleasantly,  as  the  petty  officer  came  around  to  give 
them  something  to  eat. 

"  Big  fight  all  der  dime,"  answered  Rosenvisch- 
poff.  "  Russians  kill  all  der  Japs — sink  all  der  Jap 
ships,  yes ! " 

"  You're  winning  right  along,  eh  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Russians  win — Japs  no  do  noddings,  no !  " 
And  the  petty  officer  left  the  food  on  the  bench  and 
hurried  away  again. 

"  Do  you  believe  that  ?  "  asked  Larry. 

"  No,  I  don't,"  came  from  Grandon.  "  He  told 
us  that  simply  to  scare  us,  or  else  he  doesn't  know  the 
real  truth." 

"  Exactly  what  I  think." 

"  These  Russians  are  a  lot  of  blowers,"  growled 
Luke.  "Just  look  at  Semmel.  He  was  forever 
tooting  his  horn,  and  yet  he  couldn't  do  much  of 
anything." 

"  He  got  us  into  trouble,"  said  Larry,  quickly. 

"  That's  true,  but  he  had  to  have  this  warship 
with  all  on  board  to  help  him." 

The  food  which  had  been  brought  to  them  con- 


PRISONERS    ON    THE  "  POCASTRA  " 

sisted  of  a  big  bowl  of  stew,  with  three  spoons,  and 
three  chunks  of  black  bread. 

"  They  are  going  to  treat  us  to  the  best,"  said 
Grandon,  sarcastically.  He  lifted  one  of  the  spoons 
and  tasted  the  stew.  "  Phew,  it's  hot  enough ! 
Pepper,  garlic,  and  hot  water !  " 

"  Does  beat  all  how  these  fureigners  do  love  their 
garlic,"  grumbled  Luke.  "  'Twas  the  same  way 
with  them  Spaniards  in  the  Philippines." 

"  Garlic  and  grease,"  added  Larry.  "  And  this 
bread  is  hard  enough  to  build  a  wall  with,"  he  con- 
tinued. "  However,  we  have  got  to  eat  or  go 
hungry."  And  he  partook  of  just  enough  to  stay 
his  stomach.  Luke  and  Grandon  were  not  so  par- 
ticular and  despite  their  grumbling  managed  to  make 
away  with  all  that  remained. 

They  saw  nothing  of  the  captain,  or  of  the  sailors 
who  had  been  taken  below,  and  the  time  hung  heav- 
ily on  their  hands.  At  night  they  were  given  three 
hammocks  and  these  they  slung  from  one  side  of  the 
prison  to  the  other  and  rested  as  well  as  could  be 
expected.  The  Russian  sailors  often  came  to  the 
pen  to  gaze  at  them,  but  they  had  been  warned  not 
to  attempt  to  converse  with  the  prisoners,  so  nothing 
was  said. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  third  day  aboard  of  the 
Pocastra,  those  in  the  pen  heard  a  loud  shouting  on 


I2O  AT   THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

deck,  followed  by  a  rush  of  feet.  Larry,  who  was 
resting  in  the  corner  for  the  want  of  something 
better  to  do,  leaped  up. 

"  Something  is  doing ! "  he  cried  to  his  com- 
panions. 

"  Here  comes  Captain  Ponsberry,"  ejaculated 
Tom  Grandon. 

He  was  right,  the  captain  was  coming  up  in  com- 
pany with  Rosenvischpoff  and  two  sailors.  The 
Russian  petty  officer  opened  the  door  of  the  pen  and 
Captain  Ponsberry  was  thrust  inside.  Then  the 
door  was  locked  as  before. 

"How  are  you,  boys?"  cried  the  captain,  cor- 
dially. "  All  well,  I  hope." 

"  We  are,"  answered  Grandon.     "  And  you?  " 

"  I'm  well  enough,  but  still  angry  to  think  that  we 
lost  the  Columbia." 

"  So  are  we  angry,"  said  Larry.  "  But  we've 
got  to  stand  it.  What's  that  noise  ?  " 

"  They  have  sighted  a  Chinese  junk,  and  I  reckon 
they  are  going  to  treat  her  as  they  did  our  vessel," 
answered  the  captain. 

The  noise  on  deck  continued,  followed  by  quarter 
of  an  hour  of  silence.  Then  came  a  shot,  followed 
by  a  second  and  a  third. 

"  Another  order  to  lay-to,"  said  Larry.  "  Won- 
der if  the  Chinamen  will  give  in  as  we  did  ?  " 


PRISONERS   ON    THE  "  POCASTRA  "  121 

"  They  will  if  they  are  wise,"  said  Grandon. 

But  the  Chinamen  did  not  believe  in  surrendering 
thus  easily.  They  were  carrying  rice  for  the 
Japanese  army,  and  thought  that  this  was  known  to 
the  enemy.  Consequently  they  did  their  best  to  sail 
away. 

Hardly  had  the  craft  started  on  a  new  course  when 
the  Pocastra  opened  a  direct  fire  upon  her.  The 
noise  below  decks  was  deafening  and  fairly  shook 
the  iron  pen  in  which  our  friends  were  confined. 

"  Hullo,  that  sounds  like  real  war !  "  cried  Larry. 
"  They  mean  business  now." 

One  broadside  was  followed  by  another,  and  the 
Chinese  junk  was  raked  from  end  to  end  with  such 
a  deadly  fire  that  more  than  a  sixth  of  the  sailors 
and  officers  were  killed.  Then  the  captain  flung  a 
white  flag  to  the  breeze  in  token  of  surrender. 

"  We  have  won ! "  cried  those  on  the  Pocastra, 
and  it  was  not  long  before  our  friends  understood. 
Small  boats  were  put  out,  and  presently  half  a  dozen 
Chinese  officers  from  the  junk  were  brought  on 
board  as  prisoners.  A  fire  that  had  started  on  the 
prize  ship  was  put  out  after  some  hard  work;  and 
then  a  temporary  crew  was  put  on  board,  and  the 
junk  followed  in  the  wake  of  the  old  Columbia,  with 
the  warship  keeping  guard  over  both. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

PROGRESS  OF  THE  WAR 

AN  hour  after  the  capture  of  the  Chinese  junk  one 
of  the  officers  of  the  ill-fated  craft  was  thrust  into 
the  prison  pen  with  our  friends. 

He  was  a  small  sallow-eyed  Celestial  rejoicing1  in 
the  name  of  Won  Lung,  and  it  was  soon  learned  that 
he  could  speak  a  little  English,  he  having  once  paid 
a  visit  to  San  Francisco. 

"  All  go  up  spout !  "  said  he,  referring  to  his  own 
ship.  "  T.'ink  we  safe  when  Russian  gunboat  come, 
den  all  up  spout !  " 

"  Did  they  sink  your  ship  ?  "  asked  Captain  Pons- 
berry. 

"  No  sink — shoot  holes,  back,  front,  side — all 
up  spout.  No  fightee  no  more  den — all  up  spout !  " 
The  latter  was  his  pet  phrase  and  he  used  it  over  and 
over  again. 

"  You  were  in  the  Japanese  trade  ?  " 

"  Yes — carry  rice.  Now  Russians  got  rice,  got 
junk — all  Won  Lung's  money  gone  up  spout ! " 
And  the  Celestial  made  an  odd  little  grimace. 

122 


PROGRESS   OF   THE   WAR  123 

"  Well,  they  took  my  ship,  too." 

"  Big  schooner  your  shipee  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Won  Lung  weep  for  you — all  ship  gone  up 
spout,  samee  like  Won  Lung's  ship  gone  up  spout !  " 

"  Well,  we  haven't  gone  up  the  spout  yet,"  put  in 
Larry,  with  a  laugh.  "  Let  us  thank  fortune  that  we 
are  alive  and  well." 

"  Dat  so — Won  Lung  lose  fliends  on  junk — six, 
seven,  ten — don't  know  how  many  yet,"  and  the  Chi- 
nese officer  shook  his  head  sadly.  "  Bad  war,  bad !  " 

"  Can  you  tell  us  how  the  war  is  going?  "  asked 
Tom  Grandon.  "  These  Russians  say  everything 
is  a  Russian  victory." 

"  Russians  sayee  dat  ?  " 

"  Yes — they  pretend  to  say  they  have  the  Japs 
about  beaten." 

At  this  Won  Lung  screwed  up  his  eyes  into  mere 
slits. 

"  Big  lie  dat.  Japanese  win  everyt'ing  allee 
timee.  Russian  warships  gone  up  spout — Russian 
army  run  like — like — up  spout !  " 

After  that  Won  Lung  told  them  all  he  knew.  It 
was  hard  to  understand  him,  yet  they  gathered  that 
there  had  been  another  sea  fight  in  the  vicinity  of 
Port  Arthur,  in  which  the  Russian  navy  had  come 
off  second  best,  and  that  the  Japanese  army  that  had 


124  AT   THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

landed  in  Korea  had  driven  the  enemy  to  the  north- 
westward, over  the  Yalu  River,  and  was  now  forcing 
them  back  upon  Liao-Yang. 

"  If  this  news  about  the  army  is  true,  Ben  and 
Gilbert  must  be  having  a  hot  time  of  it,"  was  Larry's 
comment.  "  I  must  say,  I  am  mighty  glad  they  are 
on  the  winning  side." 

"  Didn't  I  tell  ye  them  Russians  are  a  lot  o' 
blowers  ?  "  came  from  Luke.  "  The  truth  ain't  in 
'em  half  the  time." 

"  Perhaps  they  do  not  get  the  correct  news  from 
the  front,"  came  from  Captain  Ponsberry.  "  The 
censors  may  keep  the  bad  news  back,  for  fear  of 
disheartening  the  rest  of  the  men  in  the  army  and 
navy." 

"  They  tell  me  the  Russians  are  very  strict  about 
sending  out  news,"  rejoined  Larry. 

"  It  is  true,  Larry ;  no  country  on  the  globe  is 
stricter.  No  telegram  can  be  sent  without  it  is  in- 
spected, and  the  newspapers  cannot  print  a  single 
scrap  of  news,  or  a  single  editorial,  until  after  the 
press  censor  has  passed  upon  it." 

"  If  that's  the  case,  I  don't  wonder  that  some  of 
the  people  want  to  be  free." 

"  Russia  is  more  free  to-day  than  she  ever  was 
before,  and  freedom  is  bound  to  come  sooner  or  later 
— that  is,  I  mean,  not  such  freedom  as  we  have  in  the 


PROGRESS   OF   THE   WAR  125 

United  States,  but  such  freedom  as  they  have  in 
England  and  Germany — where,  at  least,  a  man  can 
call  his  soul  his  own." 

"  It's  a  wonder  the  Russians  will  fight  for  their 
country,  if  they  are  so  ground  down." 

"  They  know  nothing  better,  and  besides,  they 
are  really  patriotic.  If  the  Czar  would  only  treat 
them  a  little  better,  and  give  them  a  little  more 
liberty,  they  would  be  the  most  faithful  of  subjects. 
But  when  a  man  can't  do  at  all  as  he  wants  to  do, 
and  can't  open  his  mouth  about  it  either,  he  is  apt 
to  grow  sullen  and  ugly." 

As  day  after  day  went  by  life  on  the  Russian 
warship  became  almost  unendurable  for  Larry  and 
the  others.  They  suffered  greatly  for  the  want  of 
fresh  air,  and  at  last  made  a  vigorous  protest  to  the 
captain  of  the  ship,  when  he  happened  to  be  passing 
the  pen.  As  a  result  orders  were  given  that  they 
should  be  allowed  three  hours  on  deck  each  day,  one 
in  the  morning  and  two  after  dinner. 

"  This  is  a  little  like,"  said  Larry,  when  coming 
on  deck  for  the  first  time.  "  Oh,  how  good  it  feels 
to  breathe  fresh  air  once  more !  "  And  he  filled  his 
lungs  to  their  fullest  capacity. 

For  their  daily  exercise  Larry  and  Luke  were 
chained  together,  and  the  pair  inspected  with 
curiosity  as  much  of  the  warship  as  was  allowed. 


126  AT    THE   FALL   OF    PORT    ARTHUR 

"  It's  not  so  very  different  from  some  of  our  own 
auxiliary  cruisers,"  said  Larry.  "  But,  after  all, 
I  like  ours  better." 

"  That's  right,  lad ;  stick  up  f  er  your  own  country 
every  trip." 

"  Well,  what  do  you  say,  Luke?  " 

"  I  say  I'd  rather  be  on  one  of  Uncle  Sam's  ships 
than  on  any  other  in  the  world." 

While  allowed  to  roam  around  on  deck,  Larry 
often  looked  eagerly  for  the  Columbia,  but  the 
schooner  and  the  Chinese  junk  were  too  far  off  to  be 
distinguished  with  the  naked  eye. 

"  We'd  give  a  good  deal  to  be  back  on  her  deck, 
wouldn't  we,  Luke?  "  said  he. 

"Don't  mention  it,  lad;  it  makes  me  sick," 
grumbled  the  Yankee  tar. 

"  I  wish  I  knew  just  what  was  being  done  on  land, 
don't  you?  Perhaps  this  war  will  end  soon,  and 
then  we'll  be  set  free." 

"  It  won't  end  yet  awhile,  Larry,  mark  my  words 
on  that,"  answered  Luke. 

The  old  Yankee  sailor  was  right — the  war  was 
far  from  ended,  and  here  it  may  be  well  to  note 
briefly  what  was  taking  place  on  the  sea  between 
Russia  and  Japan,  while  the  army  of  the  Mikado 
was  pushing  through  Manchuria  in  the  direction  of 
Li  ao- Yang. 


PROGRESS   OF  THE   WAR  127 

The  loss  of  the  great  battleship  Petropavlovsk 
has  already  been  recorded  in  "  Under  the  Mikado's 
Flag."  This  vessel  was  sunk  by  a  mine  in  Port 
Arthur  harbor,  April  13,  1904,  and  carried  down 
with  her  Admiral  Makaroff  and  about  five  hundred 
officers  and  men.  At  the  same  time  the  battleship 
Pobieda  was  also  injured  by  a  mine. 

The  loss  of  the  admiral's  flag-ship  was  a  great 
blow  to  Russia,  and  while  she  was  trying  to  recover, 
Port  Arthur  was  vigorously  shelled  by  the  Japanese 
fleet,  and  many  buildings  were  more  or  less 
damaged.  Some  warehouses  were  set  on  fire,  but 
the  local  fire  department,  aided  by  the  Russian  garri- 
son, succeeded  in  putting  out  the  conflagration. 

While  the  Japanese  fleet  was  hammering  at  the 
city  and  the  ships  from  beyond  the  harbor,  the 
Japanese  army  encircled  Port  Arthur  on  land, 
taking  possession  of  every  available  hill  beyond  the 
Russian  line  of  defenses.  As  a  consequence,  by  the 
middle  of  May  the  city  was  in  a  complete  state  of 
siege,  nearly  all  communication  with  the  outside 
world  being  cut  off. 

But  now  came  a  turn  in  affairs  which,  for  a  short 
while,  made  matters  look  favorable  for  Russia. 
While  the  fleet  of  Admiral  Togo  was  patrolling  the 
whole  of  the  southeastern  coast  of  Manchuria  and 
protecting  the  Japanese  transports  which  were  pour- 


128  AT   THE   FALL  OF   PORT  ARTHUR 

ing  troops  into  the  country,  occurred  a  catastrophe 
as  appalling  as  it  was  unexpected. 

On  the  same  day,  May  15,  the  magnificent  battle- 
ship Hatsuse,  of  the  Japanese  navy,  was  blown  up 
by  mines  and  sunk,  and  the  protected  cruiser, 
Yoshino,  also  of  Admiral  Togo's  fleet,  collided  in 
the  fog  with  a  sister  ship,  and  was  a  total  loss.  It  is 
estimated  that  by  these  two  disasters  seven  hundred 
men  were  lost.  Among  the  officers  who  met  their 
fate  were  men  of  marked  ability  which  Japan  at  this 
crisis  could  ill  afford  to  lose. 

The  loss  of  the  Hatsuse  is  worth  relating  in  detail. 
She  had  been  along  the  coast  during  a  heavy  fog, 
but  this  had  cleared  off  and  the  sun  was  shining 
brightly.  Not  an  enemy  was  in  sight,  and  all  was 
quiet  on  the  great  battleship  when,  without  warning, 
a  terrific  explosion  was  felt  near  the  stern  and  a 
portion  of  the  steering  gear  was  damaged. 

"  We  have  struck  a  mine ! "  cried  some  one  on 
board,  and  without  delay  signals  were  hoisted  for  the 
other  vessels  in  sight  to  stand  by.  The  battleship 
was  drifting  and  the  locality  was  full  of  mines.  It 
was  a  moment  of  terrible  suspense.  Then  came 
another  explosion,  greater  than  the  first,  which 
ripped  large  holes  through  her  heavy  plates.  At 
once  the  battleship  began  to  fill,  and  presently  she 
sank  like  a  stone  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea.  The 


PROGRESS   OF   THE    WAR 

other  warships  put  out  their  small  boats  with  all 
speed,  and  succeeded  in  rescuing  about  three  hundred 
officers  and  men  out  of  a  total  of  nearly  eight  hun- 
dred. Among  those  lost  were  Rear-Admiral 
Nashiba  and  Captain  Nakao,  the  commander  of  the 
warship. 

The  Yoshino  was  lost  while  steaming  slowly 
southward,  after  a  night's  vigil  near  the  entrance  to 
Port  Arthur  harbor.  Other  vessels  of  the  blockad- 
ing fleet  were  close  by,  so  each  ship  had  to  advance 
with  extreme  caution.  But  the  fog,  instead  of  lift- 
ing, became  thicker,  and  at  a  little  before  two  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  the  cruiser  was  rammed  by  the 
Kasuga,  another  vessel  of  the  fleet  A  large  hole 
was  torn  in  the  hull  of  the  Yoshino. 

"  Out  with  the  collision  mats !  "  cried  the  com- 
mander of  the  cruiser,  and  the  mats  were  brought 
out  without  delay  and  placed  over  the  side.  But  the 
hole  was  too  great  to  be  stopped  in  that  manner. 
Then  the  captain  called  the  entire  crew  on  deck,  and 
ordered  the  small  boats  to  be  lowered,  five  on  the 
starboard  side  and  one  on  the  port.  Before  the  boats 
could  be  gotten  away,  the  Yoshino  listed  heavily 
to  starboard  and  went  down,  smashing  the  five  small 
boats  under  her.  The  other  boat  managed  to  get 
away,  with  only  a  handful  of  jackies  and  a  couple 
of  officers.  The  captain  remained  on  the  bridge 


I3O  AT    THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

and  went  down  with  his  ship.  As  soon  as  possible 
the  Kasuga  put  out  her  boats  and  succeeded  in 
rescuing  about  ninety  men,  out  of  a  total  of  over  two 
hundred  and  fifty. 

It  was  a  great  blow  to  Japan  and  the  Russians 
were  correspondingly  elated.  Feeling  that  Admiral 
Togo's  grip  on  the  sea  was  now  weakened,  the 
Russian  squadron  at  Vladivostok  sailed  forth  and 
did  much  damage  to  the  shipping  on  the  northern 
coast  of  Japan,  sinking  several  merchantmen  and 
taking  a  number  of  others  as  prizes.  The  Russian 
squadron  also  met  the  Japanese  transport  Kinshiu 
Maru,  having  on  board  the  37th '  regiment  of 
Japanese  infantry. 

"  Surrender,  or  we  will  sink  you ! "  signaled  the 
Russian  commander.  The  Japanese  refused,  and 
were  given  exactly  an  hour  in  which  to  think  it  over. 
As  they  still  refused,  a  torpedo  was  discharged 
against  the  doomed  ship.  As  she  began  to  sink  the 
Japanese  soldiers  opened  fire  with  their  rifles,  and 
then  the  Russians  answered  with  their  machine  guns, 
mowing  down  the  Mikado's  men  by  the  score.  But 
the  Japanese  were  brave  to  the  last,  and  sank  beneath 
the  waves  with  the  cry  of  Banzai!  (hurrah !)  on  their 
lips. 

It  was  an  auxiliary  cruiser  of  the  Vladivostok 
squadron  which  had  taken  the  Columbia  and  the 


PROGRESS   OF   THE    WAR  I$I 

Chinese  junk  as  prizes  of  war.  The  captain  of  the 
cruiser  was  now  looking  for  the  rest  of  the  squadron, 
but  so  far  none  of  the  warships  had  been  sighted. 

"  They  must  have  returned  to  Vladivostok,"  he 
reasoned,  and  then  turned  in  that  direction  with  the 
Pocastra,  never  dreaming  of  what  the  near  future 
held  in  store  for  himself,  his  ship,  and  his  crew. 


CHAPTER  XV 

A  SHARP  NAVAL  BATTLE 

So  far  the  weather  had  been  good,  but  following 
the  conversation  recorded  in  the  last  chapter  there 
came  up  a  dense  fog,  and  for  twenty-four  hours  the 
Russian  warship  did  nothing  but  creep  along  in  the 
gloom. 

During  that  time,  for  some  unknown  reason,  Larry 
and  the  others  were  allowed  greater  freedom  than 
before.  Each  had  his  hands  chained  behind  him, 
but  all  were  separate,  which  allowed  each  to  roam 
around  as  he  pleased. 

"  This  is  better  than  being  linked  to  somebody 
else,"  said  the  youth  to  his  old  sailor  friend.  "  Not 
but  that  we  got  along  well  enough  together,"  he 
added,  hastily. 

"  You're  right — there  wasn't  no  sense  in  joinin' 
us  together,"  answered  Luke.  "  We  can't  git  away 
if  we  want  to." 

"  We  might,  if  we  didn't  have  our  hands  chained, 
Luke." 

"How?" 

"  If  we  all  got  together  some  night — providing 
132 


A   SHARP   NAVAL   BATTLE  133 

we  could  keep  out  of  the  pen — and  stole  one  of  the 
small  boats." 

"  Easier  said  nor  done.     The  guard  would  ketch 
ye  an'  shoot  ye  down  like  a  dog." 
-  "  Oh,  I  know  there  would  be  a  great  risk.     But  I 
hate  to  think  of  going  to  a  Siberian  prison,  or  aboard 
a  Russian  prison  ship." 

"  So  do  I,  Larry.  But  even  if  we  stole  the  boat 
and  got  away,  where  would  we  go  to, — especially 
if  we  didn't  have  much  provisions  an'  water?  " 

Larry  could  not  answer  that  question,  since  he 
did  not  know  the  location  of  the  Pocastra.  It  might 
be  that  they  were  hundreds  of  miles  from  land.  If 
so,  to  take  to  a  small  boat  with  a  scarcity  of  water 
and  provisions  would  certainly  be  foolhardy. 

The  fog  continued  during  the  night,  but  swept 
away  as  if  by  magic  about  nine  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  At  that  time  the  prisoners  had  had  their 
breakfast  and  Larry  and  Luke  were  between  decks, 
looking  at  some  gunners'  assistants  cleaning  out  one 
of  the  large  guns. 

Suddenly  came  a  call  from  the  lookout,  followed 
by  half  a  dozen  commands.  As  everything  said  was 
in  Russian,  our  friends  did  not  understand  a  word, 
but  they  soon  realized  that  something  unusual  was 
in  the  air.  A  shrill  whistle  sounded  out  and  drums 
began  to  beat  to  quarters. 


134  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  I'll  wager  a  new  hat  they  have  sighted  a  Jap- 
anese ship !  "  cried  Larry,  and  scarcely  had  he  spoken 
when  there  came  a  dull  booming  over  the  water. 

"  Let  us  go  to  the  deck  an'  see  what's  doing," 
returned  Luke,  and  both  started  for  the  stairs.  But 
scarcely  had  they  appeared  on  the  deck  when  they 
were  ordered  below  again. 

Larry  was  right;  a  Japanese  warship  had  been 
sighted,  and  this  vessel  had  lost  no  time  in  discharg- 
ing a  signal  gun  to  a  sister  ship  only  a  few  miles 
away. 

Hardly  had  the  youth  and  his  friend  reached  the 
lower  deck  once  more  than  the  Japanese  cruiser 
opened  fire  on  the  Russian  vessel.  The  latter  re- 
taliated, and  the  booming  of  cannon  shook  the 
Pocastra  from  stem  to  stern. 

"  This  is  a  fight  for  fair !  "  ejaculated  Luke,  with 
a  broad  smile  on  his  face. 

"  I  hope  the  Japs  win,  Luke !  " 

"  So  do  I,  lad.  But  where  do  we  come  in,  that's 
what  I  want  to  know?  " 

"  If  we  could  only  drop  overboard  and  swim  to 
that  other  ship !  " 

"  No  use  of  trying — some  of  the  fellows  in  the 
tops  would  pick  us  off  in  no  time.  No,  we've  got 
to  stay  right  where  we  are  an'  take  what  comes." 

"  Where  are  the  others  ?  " 


A   SHARP    NAVAL   BATTLE  135 

They  looked  around,  but  could  see  nothing  of 
Captain  Ponsberry  or  Tom  Grandon.  They  saw 
Cal  Vincent  run  past,  but  he  was  out  of  sight  before 
they  could  stop  him. 

Suddenly  a  crash  above  them  told  that  a  solid  shot 
had  struck  the  upper  works  of  the  Russian  cruiser. 
Then  came  another  crash  at  the  bow. 

"  Those  Japs  know  how  to  fire,"  came  from  the 
Yankee  sailor.  "  Reckon  as  how  they're  going  to 
do  their  best  to  blow  this  ship  sky-high.  I'd  give 
'most  a  dollar  to  be  somewhere  else  just  about 
now !  "  And  he  shook  his  head  anxiously. 

The  Russian  gunners  were  working  with  a  will, 
and  so  were  their  numerous  assistants.  The 
Pocastra  was  swung  around,  and  now  both  ships 
were  broadside  to  each  other.  The  thunder  of  the 
guns  was  terrific  and  the  smoke  rolled  around  in  all 
directions. 

"  Puts  me  in  mind  o'  the  battle  o'  Manila  Bay, 
eh?  "  remarked  Luke,  as  he  and  Larry  stood  at  a 
distance,  watching  the  Russians  work  one  of  the 
guns. 

"  You  are  right,  Luke,  only " 

Larry  got  no  further,  for  at  that  moment  came  an- 
other crash  on  deck.  The  Pocastra  shivered  and 
heaved,  and  to  those  below  it  was  as  if  she  would 
surely  sink. 


AT    THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  They're  pumping  it  into  us,  sure  as  you're 
born ! "  sang  out  the  old  Yankee  tar.  "  Hullo, 
what's  this  ?  " 

There  was  a  rush  of  several  gunners  across  the 
deck.  "  Beware  of  that  gun !  "  yelled  one  in  Rus- 
sian, and  then  a  stampede  followed. 

In  the  midst  of  the  confusion  came  a  fearful  ex- 
plosion from  below.  A  portion  of  the  flooring  was 
ripped  apart  and  one  of  the  gunners  was  instantly 
killed  and  several  wounded.  A  great  volume  of 
smoke  rolled  up,  and  splinters  and  bits  of  iron  and 
steel  flew  in  all  directions. 

Both  Larry  and  Luke  were  almost  stunned  by  the 
explosion  and  for  the  moment  could  do  nothing  but 
clutch  each  other  in  terror.  Both  were  struck 
by  the  flying  splinters,  but  neither  was  seriously 
wounded.  They  staggered  back  and  began  to 
cough,  for  the  dense  smoke  was  strangling. 

"Must  have  been  a  torpedo "  gasped  Luke. 

"  Or  else  a  magazine !  "  spluttered  Larry.  "  Let 
— let  us  get — get  out  of  here.  I'm — choking — to—- 
to—death!" 

It  was  really  a  magazine  which  had  exploded. 
This  tore  a  good-sized  hole  in  the  Pocastra's  side,  in 
a  spot  impossible  to  get  at  in  the  confusion.  In  the 
meantime  a  solid  eight-inch  shell  struck  the  Russian 
ship  squarely  in  the  stern,  doing  additional  damage 


A   SHARP    NAVAL   BATTLE  137 

and  killing  and  wounding  two  officers  and  nine 
men. 

Almost  choked  to  death,  Larry  and  Luke  crawled 
to  where  the  ladder  ran  to  the  deck.  The  Russian 
jackies  and  gunners  were  swarming  up,  along  with 
all  the  prisoners. 

"Larry,  are  you  safe?"  came  in  the  voice  of 
Captain  Ponsberry,  and  he  loomed  up,  with  Tom 
Grandon,  Cal  Vincent,  and  the  Chinese  petty  officer 
beside  him. 

"  So  far  I  am,"  answered  Larry.  "  But  I — I — 
must  have  air !  "  and  he  began  to  cough. 

The  jam  on  the  ladder  was  terrific,  and  in  the 
midst  of  the  melee  a  Russian  gunner  and  the  Chinese 
petty  officer  got  into  a  quarrel.  The  gunner  threw 
the  Celestial  down,  but  he  bounced  up  like  a  ball, 
and  in  a  twinkling  the  Russian  received  a  blow  in  the 
stomach  which  sent  him  staggering  back  into  the 
crowd  and  the  deadly  smoke. 

"  No  knock  me  up  the  spout ! "  sang  out  the 
Celestial.  "  Ship  go  down  I  go  uppee !  "  And 
soon  he  was  out  on  the  upper  deck. 

Fighting,  surging,  pushing,  and  yelling  the  Rus- 
sians and  our  friends  got  to  the  deck  at  last.  Cap- 
tain Ponsberry  had  his  coat  literally  ripped  from  his 
back,  and  Cal  Vincent  had  an  arm  almost  torn  from 
its  socket.  For  this  he  gave  a  Russian  gunner  a 


138  AT   THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

rap  in  the  mouth  which  knocked  loose  several  teeth. 
It  was  a  case  of  each  man  for  himself,  and  many 
fought  like  wild  beasts. 

At  last  Larry  found  himself  free  of  the  crowd, 
with  Luke  still  beside  him.  Captain  Ponsberry  and 
Cal  Vincent  were  not  far  away,  but  between  surged 
a  great  number  of  Russians.  The  Pocastra  was  list- 
ing heavily  to  port  and  had  evidently  taken  a  large 
quantity  of  water  into  her  hull. 

Two  Japanese  warships  were  now  at  hand  and 
both  were  firing  upon  the  doomed  Russian  cruiser 
with  deadly  accuracy.  From  the  fighting  tops  of 
the  Mikado's  ships  came  a  perfect  hail  of  small  bul- 
lets which  sent  the  Russians  to  the  deck  by  the  score. 
By  this  fire  one  of  the  Columbia's  sailors  was  killed 
and  Cal  Vincent  was  seriously  wounded.  A  bullet 
likewise  grazed  Luke  Striker's  thigh,  drawing  some 
blood,  but  the  Yankee  tar  did  not  know  of  this  until 
the  conflict  was  at  an  end  and  he  saw  the  crimson 
stain  on  his  shoe  top. 

At  last  the  Russian  captain  saw  that  to  fight  fur- 
ther would  be  useless.  The  Pocastra  was  in  danger 
of  going  down  at  any  moment.  The  guns  could 
no  longer  be  used,  and  he  ordered  the  colors  lowered 
and  put  up  a  signal  of  surrender. 

A  wild  cheer  came  from  the  two  Japanese  war- 
ships when  it  was  realized  that  the  battle  was  won. 


A   SHARP    NAVAL   BATTLE  139 

"  Banzai!  Banzai! "  rent  the  air  over  and  over 
again.  "  Hurrah  for  the  Mikado !  Down  with  the 
Russians ! " 

A  little  while  after  the  fighting  came  to  an  end, 
several  small  boats  put  off  from  the  two  Japanese 
warships  and  half  a  dozen  of  the  Mikado's  naval 
officers  presented  themselves  at  the  Pocastra's  side. 
The  Russian  ship  still  listed  heavily,  but  after  the 
smoke  below  had  cleared  away  it  was  ascertained 
that  the  damage  done  was  not  as  great  as  had  been 
imagined.  One  of  the  magazines  which  had  been 
in  danger  of  blowing  up  had  been  flooded,  and  the 
rush  of  sea  water  had  likewise  put  out  a  fire  that 
had  started  in  the  stern. 

As  soon  as  order  could  be  restored  on  board  of 
the  Pocastra  a  complete  surrender  was  made  to  the 
Japanese,  the  Russian  captain  giving  up  his  sword. 
Then  a  general  conference  was  had  lasting  over  an 
hour.  At  the  end  of  that  time,  much  to  their  sur- 
prise, the  Americans  were  asked  to  go  over  to  one  of 
the  Japanese  warships. 

"  We'll  go,  and  glad  of  the  chance,"  said  Cap- 
tain Ponsberry;  and  soon  the  transfer  was  made. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

ABOARD  A  JAPANESE  WARSHIP 

"  WHAT  a  beauty  of  a  ship !  " 

Such  was  Larry's  exclamation  as  he  stepped 
aboard  of  the  Japanese  warship.  The  vessel  was, 
like  the  Russian  prize,  an  auxiliary  cruiser  and 
named  the  Mimora  Juri.  She  was  but  three  years 
old  and  had  been  used  for  passenger  service  between 
Japan  and  China.  For  such  a  small  cruiser  she  car- 
ried an  unusually  heavy  battery,  and  everything  was 
shined  up  to  the  last  degree, — the  work  having  been 
undertaken  directly  after  the  battle  was  over.  The 
Mimora  Juri  had  suffered  but  little  damage  during 
the  contest  and  only  a  handful  of  men  had  been 
killed  and  wounded. 

"  This  looks  more  like  Uncle  Sam's  navy  than 
anything  I  have  seen  yet,"  said  Luke. 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  that  the  decorations  aboard 
our  ships  are  quite  so  fine,"  returned  the  youth. 
"  But  then  this  isn't  an  ordinary  fighting  ship. 
Some  of  the  auxiliary  cruisers  we  used  during  the 
war  with  Spain — those  that  used  to  be  trans-Atlantic 
steamers — were  just  as  fine  as  this  and  finer." 

140 


ABOARD   A   JAPANESE    WARSHIP  141 

As  soon  as  those  from  the  Columbia  reached  the 
Japanese  warship  the  wounded  were  taken  in  charge 
by  the  surgeons  and  placed  in  the  sick  bay,  as  the 
hospital  on  a  naval  vessel  is  called.  This  was  also 
in  the  best  of  order,  with  nice,  swinging  cots,  and 
appliances  of  the  latest  designs. 

As  there  were  many  things  to  be  arranged  be- 
tween the  two  Japanese  vessels  and  the  Russian 
prize,  our  friends  were  not  interviewed  until  late  in 
the  evening.  In  the  meantime,  some  of  the  Rus- 
sians were  made  prisoners,  and  a  prize  crew  was 
placed  aboard  of  the  Pocastra.  Then  the  two  Japa- 
nese warships  moved  away,  with  the  captured  cruiser 
between  them. 

"  Those  Russians  must  feel  sick,"  was  Larry's 
comment.  "  It's  worse  for  them,  in  a  way,  than  if 
their  ship  had  gone  down." 

"  Well,  we  all  thought  she  was  sinking,"  re- 
turned Captain  Ponsberry.  "  If  she  had  sunk  I 
reckon  some  of  us  wouldn't  be  here  to  tell  the 
tale." 

When  evening  came,  a  guard  who  could  speak 
a  little  English  conducted  Captain  Ponsberry, 
Larry,  and  Tom  Grandon  to  the  commander's  cabin. 
Here  they  were  met  by  Captain  Tonkaka,  who,  be- 
ing a  graduate  of  the  Japanese  naval  school,  could 
speak  not  only  English  but  also  several  other  foreign 


H2  AT    THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

languages.  It  may  be  mentioned  here  that  the  Japa- 
nese naval  academy  of  to-day  is  one  of  the  foremost 
institutions  of  its  kind  in  the  world. 

"  I  will  hear  your  story,  Captain  Ponsberry,"  said 
the  Japanese  captain,  politely,  as  he  motioned  his 
visitors  to  be  seated. 

In  a  plain,  direct  manner  the  master  of  the  Co- 
lumbia told  his  tale,  starting  from  the  time  the 
schooner  left  Manila  with  a  cargo  intended  for  the 
Japanese  Government.  He  told  of  the  trouble  with 
Semmel  and  of  the  mutiny,  and  then  of  the  capture 
by  the  Pocastra. 

"  You  have  assuredly  been  unfortunate,"  said 
Captain  Tonkaka.  "  Have  you  any  idea  where 
your  schooner  is  now  ?  " 

"  I  have  not,  but  I  thought  she  must  be  close  to 
the  Russian  ship — she  and  that  Chinese  junk,  too. 
The  Pocastra  was  taking  them  to  Vladivostok  as 
prizes." 

"  Ah !  "  The  Japanese  captain  mused  for  a  mo- 
ment. "  I  dare  say  you  would  like  to  gain  back 
your  ship  ?  "  he  continued. 

"  Indeed  I  would ! "  cried  Captain  Ponsberry. 
"  I'd  give  a  pretty  dollar  to  do  so !  " 

"  I  shall  interview  the  captain  of  the  Russian  war- 
ship again  to-morrow.  It  may  be  that  he  will  tell 
us  where  she  is — although  I  doubt  it." 


ABOARD    A    JAPANESE    WARSHIP  143 

After  this  a  few  questions  were  put  to  Larry  and 
Tom  Grandon  and  both  corroborated  what  Captain 
Ponsberry  had  said.  They  were  also  questioned 
concerning  the  treatment  they  had  received  while  on 
the  Pocastra. 

"  You  may  be  thankful  that  the  treatment  was  no 
worse,"  said  Captain  Tonkaka.  "  Of  late  some  of 
the  Russians  have  treated  their  prisoners  in  a  most 
brutal  fashion." 

"  We  are  thankful,"  replied  the  master  of  the 
Columbia. 

The  majority  of  the  staterooms  aboard  of  the 
Mimora  Juri  were  occupied  by  the  officers  of  the 
cruiser,  but  one  small  room  was  turned  over  to  Cap- 
tain Ponsberry,  and  a  larger  apartment  was  turned 
over  to  Tom  Grandon  and  Larry.  At  Larry's  solici- 
tation Luke  Striker  was  allowed  to  "  bunk  in  "  with 
the  first  and  second  mates. 

"  This  'ere  ship  is  jest  about  next  to  a  palace," 
was  Luke's  comment.  "  Ain't  seen  nothing  so  fancy 
in  a  long  time." 

The  Japanese  warships  were  bound  for  the  near- 
est naval  station  with  their  prize.  They  could 
readily  have  made  eighteen  knots  an  hour,  but  the 
crippled  Russian  cruiser  could  not  make  over  ten, 
and  so  this  was  the  rate  of  speed  set  for  all  three. 

The  Americans  were  allowed  the  freedom  of  the 


144  AT    THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

ship  and  Larry  and  Luke  spent  many  hours  in  in- 
specting the  guns  and  other  equipments,  and  in 
watching  the  Japanese  jackies  in  the  gun  and  cutlass 
drills,  their  physical  exercises,  and  in  their  drills  to 
fight  fire  and  to  lower  the  small  boats.  Everything 
on  board  ran  as  smoothly  as  clockwork,  much  to  their 
delight. 

"  I  can  tell  you  what,  Luke ! "  cried  Larry,  en- 
thusiastically, "  this  beats  the  Russians  all  hollow ! 
I  never  saw  anything  so  well  done !  " 

"  Almost  beats  our  own  navy,  doesn't  it  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  about  that.  But  it  is  cer- 
tainly just  as  good.  That  drill  to  fight  fire  is  im- 
mense, and  their  physical  exercises  ought  to  make 
each  man's  muscles  like  iron." 

"  They  are  a  sturdy  lot,  lad,  no  two  ways  about 
that, — and  they  understand  just  how  to  keep  them- 
selves in  the  pink  of  condition."  Luke  rubbed  his 
chin  reflectively.  "  Do  ye  know  what  I  have  in 
mind  to  do?  " 

"  I  think  I  can  make  a  pretty  good  guess,"  came 
quickly  from  Larry. 

"Well?" 

"  You're  thinking  that  you'd  like  to  join  the  Japa- 
nese navy,  just  to  have  a  mix-up  or  two  with  the 
Russians." 

"  You've  struck  the  nail  on  the  head,  lad.     And 


ABOARD   A   JAPANESE    WARSHIP  145 

why  not,  seeing  as  how  we  are  out  here  in  fight- 
ing waters,  and  with  no  ship  of  our  own  to  go 
aboard?" 

"  Well,  I  feel  a  good  bit  that  way  myself.  Ben 
is  in  the  army,  and  so  is  Gilbert  Pennington.  If 
they  can  make  a  record  for  themselves  why  shouldn't 
I  do  the  same?  As  it  was  I  came  close  to  joining 
the  army  with  Ben." 

"  So  you  told  me  before.  But  you're  a  born 
sailor,  Larry,  not  a  soldier." 

"  I  don't  deny  it.  I'd  rather  be  on  board  of  a  ship 
than  on  land  any  day." 

"  Yes,  to  a  fellow  as  gets  used  to  the  sea  the  land 
seems  a  strange  place." 

From  the  Japanese  on  the  warship  who  could 
speak  English  our  friends  learned  much  concerning 
the  war.  They  were  told  that  Admiral  Togo's  fleet 
was  keeping  a  strict  guard  over  the  harbor  approach 
to  Port  Arthur,  and  that  a  portion  of  the  Japa- 
nese army  was  hemming  in  the  city  on  the  land 
side  and  had  lately  captured  several  hills  of  impor- 
tance. 

From  Captain  Tonkaka  the  Americans  obtained 
permission  to  station  themselves  in  one  of  the  fight- 
ing tops,  and  here  they  spent  hour  after  hour,  on 
the  lookout  for  the  Columbia.  Captain  Ponsberry 
was  particularly  anxious  to  find  his  vessel,  and  kept 


146  AT    THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

scanning  the  Japan  Sea  through  a  fine  spyglass  the 
Japanese  captain  loaned  him. 

"  If  I  can  gain  possession  of  that  ship,  I  am  going1 
to  fix  Semmel  and  Peterson,"  said  the  master  of  the 
Columbia. 

"  Both  of  them  declared  that  they  took  possession 
of  the  ship  for  the  sake  of  the  Russian  Government," 
said  Larry.  "  That  being  the  case,  they  should  be 
treated  as  prisoners  of  war." 

"  Exactly  my  idea,  Larry." 

"  Semmel  is  a  thoroughly  bad  egg,"  came  from 
Tom  Grandon.  "  He  will  lie  out  of  his  troubles  if 
he  can  possibly  do  so." 

"  It  will  be  a  shame  if  we  don't  find  the  Columbia 
again,"  went  on  Larry.  "  Think  of  those  rascals 
taking  her  to  Vladivostok  and  getting  their  share  of 
the  prize  money !  It  makes  me  sick !  " 

"  Captain  Tonkaka  tells  me  that  other  Japanese 
warships  are  in  this  vicinity,"  said  Captain  Pons- 
berry.  "  They  may  fall  in  with  the  schooner  even 
if  we  don't.  But  what  they  will  do  with  her,  in  that 
case,  there  is  no  telling.  They  might  claim  her  as  a 
prize  also,  and  if  they  did,  I'd  have  some  trouble  in 
getting  my  property  back." 

What  the  Japanese  captain  had  said  was  true. 
In  order  to  counteract  the  doings  of  the  Russian 
squadron  which  was  raiding  the  northern  and  east- 


ABOARD   A   JAPANESE    WARSHIP  H7 

ern  coasts  of  Japan,  the  Mikado  had  sent  out  a  fly- 
ing squadron  of  six  or  seven  vessels,  all  of  which, 
though  not  large,  had  good  sailing  powers. 

Owing  to  the  heavy  mists,  the  flying  squadron 
became  separated,  and  two  of  the  vessels  fell  in  with 
the  Pocastra,  as  already  described.  Of  the  other 
ships  some  proceeded  up  the  coast  to  Korea  and 
caught  two  Russian  colliers  loaded  with  coal  and  an- 
other ship  carrying  steel  rails  for  the  Manchuria 
railroad.  The  remainder  of  the  squadron  put  fur- 
ther to  sea,  and  on  the  fourth  day  out  caught  sight  of 
two  Russian  steamers  loaded  with  munitions  of  war. 
A  chase  ensued,  lasting  three  days,  and  several  shots 
were  exchanged  at  long  range.  But  a  mist,  coming 
up  one  night,  put  an  end  to  the  chase,  and  chagrined 
to  think  that  the  enemy  had  given  them  the  slip 
after  all,  the  Japanese  turned  back  once  more,  to 
look  for  the  other  vessels  of  the  flying  squadron. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

THE  RETAKING  OF  THE  "  COLUMBIA  " 

"  WE  are  in  for  another  storm !  " 

It  was  Larry  who  made  the  remark.  He  was  in 
one  of  the  tops  with  Luke,  gazing  anxiously  to  the 
westward,  where  the  black  clouds  were  beginning 
to  pile  up. 

"  Right  you  are,  lad — and  it's  going  to  be  a  heavy 
one,  unless  I  miss  my  guess." 

The  storm  broke  half  an  hour  later,  and  the  wind 
and  rain  were  so  furious  that  our  friends  were  glad 
to  leave  the  top  and  go  below.  But  some  of  the 
Japanese  sailors  did  not  appear  to  mind  the  lashing 
of  the  elements  and  remained  on  deck  as  if  nothing 
out  of  the  ordinary  was  occurring. 

"  These  chaps  beat  me !  "  said  Larry.  "  They  are 
certainly  as  tough  as  pine  knots.  I  never  saw  their 
equal." 

"  I'm  beginning  to  think  that  the  Japanese  are 
a  wonderful  nation,"  put  in  Tom  Grandon,  seriously. 
"  I  used  to  look  at  them  as  something  like  the 
Chinese.  But  there  is  a  wide  difference  between 
them  and  the  Chinks." 

148 


THE   RETAKING   OF   THE    "  COLUMBIA  "        149 

"  A  Chinaman  isn't  in  it  alongside  of  a  Japa- 
nese," came  from  Captain  Ponsberry.  "  The  Japa- 
nese are  up-to-date  and  very  progressive;  the  Chi- 
nese are  about  a  hundred  years  behind  the  times." 

The  storm  continued  for  the  best  part  of  half  a 
day.  There  was  but  little  thunder  and  lightning, 
but  the  wind  blew  a  perfect  gale.  Yet  even  the 
Pocastra  did  not  seem  to  mind  the  wind,  and  all 
three  of  the  warships  proceeded  on  their  way  at  only 
a  slightly  reduced  rate  of  speed. 

"  Such  a  gale  as  this  will  play  havoc  with  the  sail- 
ing vessels,"  said  Larry.  "  I  wonder  how  the  old 
Columbia  is  making  out?  " 

"  I  was  thinking  that  same,"  rejoined  Captain 
Ponsberry.  "  To  tell  the  truth,  I'd  rather  have  her 
go  to  the  bottom  than  see  her  taken  to  a  Russian 
port  as  a  prize." 

When  the  storm  cleared  away,  Larry  was  one  of 
the  first  to  go  on  deck,  to  get  a  whiff  of  "  washed 
air,"  as  he  called  it.  The  others  followed. 

"  I  see  a  sail ! "  cried  the  youth,  a  moment  later, 
and  at  that  instant  came  a  cry  from  the  lookout. 
Far  to  the  eastward  was  a  sailing  vessel  flying  a 
signal  of  distress. 

"  She  looks  familiar  to  me ! "  ejaculated  Captain 
Ponsberry,  and  ran  to  get  Captain  Tonkaka's  glass. 
One  glance  through  the  instrument  was  enough. 


"  The  Columbia! " 

"  Are  you  sure?  "  cried  Larry. 

"  She  certainly  is  the  Columbia"  said  Tom  Gran- 
don,  after  a  look  through  the  glass.  "  She  has  lost 
her  fore  topmast  and  part  of  her  bowsprit." 

"  And  a  part  of  the  stern  rail  is  gone,"  added 
Larry,  after  he  too  had  used  the  glass.  "  Let  us 
tell  Captain  Tonkaka,"  he  added,  starting  to  go 
below. 

The  news  that  the  Columbia  was  in  sight  was 
soon  circulated  throughout  the  ship,  and  Captain 
Tonkaka  at  once  signaled  to  the  other  warships  that 
he  was  going  to  her  assistance.  Then  the  Mimora 
Juri  steamed  away  on  her  new  course. 

As  they  drew  closer  to  the  schooner  they  could 
see  that  the  storm  had  treated  the  gallant  old  ship 
roughly  enough.  Many  of  the  sails  were  in  ribbons, 
and  not  only  the  fore  topmast  but  also  half  a  dozen 
of  the  spars  were  gone.  One  end  of  the  forecastle 
was  stove  in,  and  a  part  of  the  stern  was  a  wreck. 

"  This  is  the  worst  yet !  "  cried  Larry.  "  They 
must  have  caught  more  of  the  gale  than  we  did." 

"  They  didn't  know  how  to  handle  her,  that's  the 
reason  of  it,"  came  from  Captain  Ponsberry.  "  We 
have  taken  her  through  a  worse  blow  than  that ;  eh, 
Tom?" 

"  I  think  so,"  answered  the  second  mate. 


THE   RETAKING   OF   THE   "COLUMBIA"        I$I 

As  soon  as  the  Japanese  warship  was  close  enough 
a  boat  was  lowered  and  an  officer  went  aboard  of 
the  schooner,  followed  by  several  of  his  crew  and 
Captain  Ponsberry,  Grandon,  and  Larry. 

The  Russians  having  the  schooner  in  charge  were 
meek  enough.  As  a  matter  of  fact  the  gale  had  ter- 
rorized them,  and  all  had  imagined  they  were  surely 
going  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea.  They  did  not  like 
it  to  find  themselves  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy  and 
were  astonished  when  they  learned  that  the  Pocastra 
had  been  captured. 

"  It  was  a  fearful  storm,"  said  the  Russian  officer 
who  was  in  charge.  "  Several  times  I  fancied  the 
masts  would  all  go  by  the  board.  I  shall  never  want 
another  such  experience.  One  man  was  washed 
overboard  and  several  were  badly  hurt  by  the  wreck- 
ing of  the  forecastle." 

"  Were  any  of  my  former  men  injured  ?  "  asked 
Captain  Ponsberry. 

"  It  was  my  fellow  countryman,  Ostag  Semmel, 
who  was  swept  overboard  and  drowned,"  answered 
the  Russian  officer. 

"  Semmel !  "  ejaculated  Larry.  He  drew  a  long 
breath  and  his  hatred  of  the  man  died  all  in  an  in- 
stant. "  Poor  chap !  That  was  rough  on  him !  " 

"  It  certainly  was  rough,"  answered  Captain 
Ponsberry.  "  And  what  of  the  others?  " 


IS2  AT    THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  Both  Peterson  and  Shamhaven  were  hurt,  but 
not  seriously.  They  are  below  resting,"  was  the 
answer. 

It  was  found  that  some  of  the  seams  of  the 
schooner  had  opened  but  that  no  alarming  quantity 
of  water  was  running  into  the  well.  The  Russians 
were  asked  to  surrender  as  prisoners  of  war  and  this 
they  did  willingly,  and  were  transferred  to  the 
Japanese  warship.  Then  Captain  Ponsberry  was 
asked  if  he  wished  to  take  charge  of  the  Columbia 
again. 

"  Will  a  duck  swim!  "  he  cried.  "  Of  course  I 
want  to  take  charge.  Hasn't  she  always  been  my 
ship?  And  my  crew  will  want  to  go  with  me,  I 
know." 

"  But  the  wreckage "  began  Captain  Tonkaka. 

"  I'll  attend  to  that,  sir, — don't  you  worry.  Only 
give  me  back  my  ship,  that's  all  I  ask." 

"  It  shall  be  as  you  say,  Captain  Ponsberry.  But 
when  you  get  to  Nagasaki  you  will  have  to  settle 
matters  with  the  Japanese  Government.  It  is,  all 
told,  a  rather  peculiar  case.  In  one  way,  she  is  now 
a  Japanese  prize  of  war,  and  in  another  way  she  is 
not." 

"  I  understand,  and  the  courts  will  have  to  settle 
the  tangle,  sir.  I'll  do  what  is  fair,  and  I  know  the 
Richmond  Importing  Company  will  do  the  same." 


THE   RETAKING   OF   THE    "COLUMBIA"        153 

"  Then  you  can  go  aboard  of  the  ship  as  soon  as 
you  please." 

"  Thank  you  very  much." 

Captain  Ponsberry  had  returned  to  the  warship 
for  just  this  talk,  and  now  he  lost  no  time  in  getting 
back  to  the  Columbia,  taking  with  him  all  his  crew, 
including  Cal  Vincent,  who  was  just  about  able  to 
get  around  once  more. 

"  Hurrah !  "  cried  Larry,  "  this  seems  like  home 
once  more,  doesn't  it  ?  " 

"  That's  what  it  does,"  answered  Luke.  "  But 
there  is  plenty  of  work  ahead,  I  can  tell  you  that, 
lad." 

"  I  don't  care — work  will  help  to  pass  the  time." 

When  Peterson  and  Shamhaven  saw  Captain 
Ponsberry  they  did  not  know  what  to  say.  The  loss 
of  their  leader,  Semmel,  had  humbled  them  greatly. 

"  I'm  not  going  to  say  much  to  you,  seeing  as 
how  both  of  you  are  hurt,"  said  the  master  of  the 
Columbia,  briefly.  "  But  understand,  I  want  no 
nonsense  from  either  of  you." 

"  I'll  do  all  I  can  to  assist  you,  captain,"  said 
Shamhaven,  humbly.  "  All  I  want  is  another 
chance." 

"  Which  you'll  not  get  from  me,"  was  the  quick 
rejoinder.  "  I  know  you  thoroughly,  Shamhaven, 
and  I  am  done  with  you.  You  and  Peterson  aided 


154  AT    THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

the  Russians  and  you  can  now  consider  yourselves 
under  arrest.  When  we  get  into  port  I'm  going  to 
hand  you  over  to  the  Japanese  authorities." 

Both  of  the  culprits  wanted  to  argue,  but  the 
captain  would  not  listen.  Their  hurts  were  in- 
spected and  they  were  told  that  they  would  be  al- 
lowed three  days  in  which  to  recuperate,  after  which 
they  would  have  to  do  their  share  of  duty. 

"  I  don't  like  this,"  growled  Shamhaven,  after  the 
interview  was  over.  "  Peterson,  we  are  in  it  deeper 
than  ever." 

"  Dat  is  so,"  was  the  answer,  with  a  scowl. 
"  Veil,  ve  not  put  up  mit  him,  hey  ?  Maybe,  ven  we 
git  near  shore,  we  run  avay,  Shamhaven." 

"  Yes,  if  we  can  get  the  chance.  But  I  don't 
know  where  you  are  going  to  run  to — especially  if 
you  haven't  any  money." 

"  Ve  git  money." 

"From  where?" 

"  I  ton't  know  dot  yet,  no,  but  ve  git  him,  yes. 
Captain  Ponsberry  must  haf  some,  and  dot  Larry 
Russell,  too.  Vonce  I  see  Russell  mit  a  money  pelt 
vot  haf  some  gold  in  him,  yes." 

"  A  money  belt  with  gold  ?  You  must  be  dream- 
ing." 

"  No,  I  see  him  mit  mine  two  eyes.  He  count 
der  gold.  He  haf  more  as  dirty  pieces." 


THE   RETAKING    OF   THE   "COLUMBIA"        155 

"  That  is  worth  remembering,"  answered  Sham- 
haven.  And  he  began  to  speculate  upon  what  he 
could  do  in  Japan  if  he  was  free  and  had  a  money 
belt  full  of  gold. 

That  Larry  had  a  money  belt  was  true.  He  had 
purchased  it  several  years  before,  while  on  shore 
duty  in  the  Philippines.  He  was  a  saving  fellow 
and  found  the  belt  useful  in  which  to  place  his  wages 
and  the  money  which  he  occasionally  received  from 
home.  Strange  as  it  may  seem,  the  belt  had  not 
been  taken  away  from  him  by  the  Russians,  and  it 
now  contained  nearly  three  hundred  dollars.  The 
money  was  mostly  in  gold, — for  he  had  found  that 
gold  could  be  used  no  matter  where  he  went. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

A  CLEVER  RUSE 

As  soon  as  Captain  Ponsberry  was  in  charge  of 
the  Columbia  once  more  he  set  about  without  delay 
to  put  the  schooner  in  proper  condition  for  the  run  to 
Nagasaki.  The  broken-off  foremast  was  allowed  to 
remain  as  it  was,  but  a  temporary  bowsprit  was  set 
into  place,  and  the  damage  to  the  forecastle  and  to 
the  stern  repaired.  A  temporary  rail  was  also  nailed 
up,  so  that  there  might  be  no  danger  of  anybody 
slipping  overboard. 

In  all  this  work  the  sailors  and  the  ship's  carpen- 
ter did  their  best,  and  the  captain  and  his  mates 
helped.  Sails  were  also  sewed  up,  or  replaced,  and 
inside  of  forty-eight  hours  the  old  Columbia  was 
once  more  on  her  way.  The  water  taken  aboard 
was  pumped  out,  and  the  pumps  were  kept  going 
two  hours  each  morning  and  two  hours  each  after- 
noon. 

"  She  will  do  now,"  said  the  captain,  after  the 
heaviest  of  the  work  was  over.  "  But  when  we 
reach  Nagasaki  I'll  have  to  put  her  in  the  dock  for 

156 


A   CLEVER   RUSE  157 

regular  repairs.  I  shouldn't  dare  to  take  her  to 
Manila  or  to  San  Francisco  in  such  a  condition." 

"  It  will  take  a  long  time  to  have  the  repairs  made 
in  Japan,"  said  Larry.  "  All  the  shipyards  are  busy 
on  government  work." 

"  True,  lad,  but  that  cannot  be  helped.  The  law 
would  not  allow  me  to  sign  a  crew  with  a  ship  that 
was  not  seaworthy." 

"  Then  we'll  have  a  long  lay-off  when  we  reach 
Nagasaki." 

"  Exactly,  Larry.  But  I  shan't  keep  you.  If 
you  want  to  go  elsewhere " 

"  Not  on  another  sailing  vessel,  Captain  Pqns- 
berry.  But  you  know  how  it  is  with  Luke  Striker 
and  myself.  Ever  since  we  were  in  our  own  navy 
we  have  had  a  hankering  after  warships,  and " 

"  And  you  think  of  joining  the  Japanese  navy  ?  " 
put  in  the  master  of  the  schooner,  quickly. 

"  That's  it.  You  know  how  I  spoke  of  joining  the 
army  with  Ben  and  Gilbert." 

"  To  be  sure — and  I  told  you  I  couldn't  spare 
you." 

"  But  now,  if  you  haven't  any  use  for  me  any 
longer " 

"  Why,  Larry,  if  you  want  to  fight  for  Japan, 
go  ahead  and  fight !  "  ejaculated  Captain  Ponsberry. 
"  I  don't  blame  you.  I'd  fight  myself  if  I  was  a 


1 58  AT    THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

younger  man  and  hadn't  any  obligations  on  my 
shoulders.  I  suppose  Ben  is  doing  great  things  in 
the  army  and  you'd  like  to  match  him  in  the  navy, 
eh?" 

"  If  I  join  the  navy  I'll  do  my  best." 

"  Will  Striker  go  with  you?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  Luke  and  I  always  go  together,  if  we 
can.  He  was  my  chum  when  we  fought  under 
Dewey  and  he  has  been  my  chum  ever  since." 

"  And  a  good  fellow,  too,  Larry — a  man  with  a 
heart  of  gold.  If  it  wasn't  that  you  and  Tom 
Grandon  were  with  me,  I  should  have  made  him  a 
mate  long  ago." 

"  I  don't  doubt  that,  sir — and  he  is  worthy  of  it." 
Larry  paused  for  a  moment.  "  Of  course,  I  don't 
know  if  they  want  any  of  us  in  the  navy." 

"  Didn't  you  tell  me  before  that  they  had  several 
men  you  had  met  while  under  Dewey  and  some  your 
brother  Walter  had  met  while  fighting  in  Cuban 
waters  ?  " 

"  Yes,  but  that  was  some  time  ago." 

"  If  they  took  those  chaps  then  it's  likely  they  will 
take  you  now — unless,  of  course,  they  have  all  the 
men  they  want — which  I  doubt." 

"  We  shall  not  go  as  ordinary  jackies.  Ben  got 
a  commission  as  a  captain,  and  Luke  thinks  he  might 
go  as  a  gunner  and  I  might  go  as  an  assistant  gun- 


A    CLEVER   RUSE  159 

ner.  We  occupied  those  positions  before  we  left  our 
navy." 

"  Then  I  should  certainly  strike  for  the  positions. 
They  may  need  gunners  even  if  they  don't  need  com- 
rrion  seamen,"  responded  Captain  Ponsberry. 

As  fortune  would  have  it,  the  run  to  Nagasaki 
was  made  without  incident  worthy  of  special  men- 
tion. Once  there  was  a  scare  on  board,  as  the  water 
in  the  well  hole  increased  with  alarming  rapidity. 
But  the  new  leak  was  discovered  in  time,  and  the 
ship's  carpenter  had  little  difficulty  in  repairing  it. 
They  also  sighted  a  vessel  they  thought  might  be  a 
Russian  warship,  but  she  proved  instead  to  be  a 
Japanese  coastwise  freighter,  carrying  lumber  from 
one  port  to  another  on  the  northern  coast  of  Japan. 

As  the  Columbia  drew  closer  to  Nagasaki  both 
Peterson  and  Shamhaven  grew  more  anxious  over 
what  was  to  become  of  them.  Neither  desired  a 
term  in  a  Japanese  prison,  and  both  wondered  what 
sort  of  a  charge  Captain  Ponsberry  and  the  cap- 
tain of  the  Japanese  warship  would  prefer  against 
them. 

So  far  Captain  Ponsberry  had  allowed  them  their 
liberty,  but  through  the  talk  of  a  couple  of  sailors 
they  presently  learned  that  they  were  to  be  cast  into 
the  ship's  brig  and  placed  under  guard  as  soon  as 
the  schooner  dropped  anchor. 


I6O  AT    THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  This  looks  black  for  us,"  said  Shamhaven, 
moodily.  "  I  wish  we  were  out  of  it." 

"  I  haf  a  plan  got,  yes,"  answered  Peterson. 

"To  get  away?" 

The  other  nodded. 

"  Then  let  me  hear  the  plan  by  all  means,  Peter- 
son." 

"  It  vos — vot  you  call  him — risky,  yes.  Maype 
ve  get  shot — you  no  like  him,  no?  " 

"  Of  course  I  don't  want  to  get  shot.  But  what 
is  your  plan  ?  " 

"  So  soon  like  de  ship  come  up  by  der  harbor  we 
vatch  our  chances  an'  trop  oferpoard,  yes." 

"  And  swim  ashore  ?  " 

"  Maype  ve  schwim  by  some  udder  poat,  yes.  Of 
ve  got  money  we  go  to  leetle  poat — gif  Jap  mans 
money  to  take  us  avay,  you  see  now  ?  " 

"  You  mean  to  watch  for  some  small  Japanese 
boat — a  bumboat,  eh?  And  bribe  the  boatman  to 
take  us  to  some  place  of  safety  ?  " 

"  You  got  him  now,  yes." 

"  That's  good  enough  if  we  can  find  the  bumboat 
and  get  the  money  with  which  to  do  the  bribing." 

"  Captain  Ponsberry  got  money — an'  Russell  he 
got  money  pelt,  like  I  told  you." 

"  Oh,  I  haven't  forgotten  about  that  money  belt," 
returned  Shamhaven.  "  And  I  wouldn't  mind  tak- 


A   CLEVER   RUSE  l6l 

ing  it  if  I  could  get  my  hands  on  it.  But  Russell 
must  wear  it  most  of  the  time." 

"  I  t'ink  he  not  put  him  on  by  der  night  dime,  no." 

"  What  do  you  know  about  Captain  Ponsberry's 
money  ?  " 

"  He  got  money  in  a  leetle  pag — I  see  him  vonce." 

"  How  much  do  you  think  ?  " 

At  this  Peterson  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  No  can  tell  dat — maype  a  thousand  dollars." 

There  was  a  pause,  and  Shamhaven  drew  a  long 
breath. 

"  One  thing  is  certain,"  he  resumed.  "  I  don't 
intend  to  go  to  a  Japanese  prison,  or  an  American 
prison  either,  if  I  can  help  it,  and  if  we  cut  loose 
here  in  a  strange  country  we  are  bound  to  need  more 
or  less  money  with  which  to  get  along.  Without 
money  a  fellow  can't  do  a  thing  in  a  strange  coun- 
try." 

"  We  git  money — chust  you  vait,"  said  Peterson. 

At  last  the  Columbia  came  into  sight  of  the  ship- 
ping of  Nagasaki.  But  it  was  now  dark,  and  a 
heavy  fog  was  hanging  over  the  harbor,  so  it  was 
impossible  to  make  the  proper  landing  before  the 
next  day.  They  came  to  anchor  and  the  necessary 
lights  were  hung  out. 

"  This  is  our  chance,"  said  Shamhaven.  "  It  is 
now  or  never !  " 


1 62  AT    THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

He  had  heard  that  Peterson  and  himself  were  to 
be  made  close  prisoners  directly  after  supper.  He 
watched  his  chance  and  when  nobody  was  looking 
motioned  his  confederate  to  leave  the  forecastle  and 
steal  silently  toward  the  stern  of  the  ship.  Each 
carried  a  block  of  wood,  to  which  was  attached  a 
bit  of  iron,  to  make  it  sink  from  sight. 

"  Now  then !  "  whispered  Shamhaven,  and  threw 
the  block  he  carried  overboard.  It  struck  the  water 
with  a  loud  splash,  and  the  block  carried  by  Peterson 
immediately  followed. 

"  Hullo,  what's  that  ? "  came  in  the  voice 
of  Tom  Grandon.  "  Who  threw  something  over- 
board?" 

"  Sounded  like  somebody  jumping  into  the 
water,"  replied  Captain  Ponsberry,  who  was  on  deck 
with  the  first  mate. 

An  examination  was  made,  but  in  the  fog  and 
darkness  nothing  could  be  discovered. 

"  It  was  mighty  queer,"  was  Grandon's  comment. 
"  Somebody  must  have  done  it." 

"  Where  are  Shamhaven  and  Peterson  ?  " 

"  In  the  forecastle,  I  suppose.    Do  you  think " 

"  I  don't  know  what  to  think.  See  if  they  are 
there." 

At  once  Tom  Grandon  ran  off,  and  made  a  tour 
not  only  of  the  forecastle  but  also  of  the  forward 


A   CLEVER   RUSE  I $ 

deck.  He  called  the  men's  names  several  times,  and 
others  quickly  joined  in  the  hunt. 

"  They  are  gone !  "  he  ejaculated,  running  back  to 
where  Captain  Ponsberry  stood. 

"  Gone?  Then  it  must  have  been  them  jumping 
overboard  that  we  heard !  " 

"  Like  as  not — and  they  are  a  good  bit  away  from 
the  schooner  by  this  time." 

"  Bring  a  lantern  and  we'll  take  a  look  around." 

A  lantern  was  brought,  and  a  few  minutes  later  a 
small  boat  was  lowered,  manned  by  Luke  and  three 
other  sailors.  Captain  Ponsberry  went  with  them, 
and  the  searchers  remained  out  the  best  part  of  an 
hour. 

"  They've  given  us  the  slip  clean  and  clear,"  de- 
clared the  master  of  the  Columbia,  on  returning. 
"  It  was  a  risky  thing  to  undertake  in  such  weather 
as  this." 

"  Yes,  and  for  all  we  know  they  may  be  at  the 
bottom  of  the  harbor,"  answered  Tom  Grandon. 

"  Which  place  might  be  jest  what  they  deserve," 
grumbled  Luke  Striker,  as  he  helped  to  stow  away 
the  small  boat  once  more. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE   DISAPPEARANCE   OF   THE   ENEMY 

As  soon  as  Peterson  and  Shamhaven  threw  the 
blocks  of  wood  overboard  they  darted  for  the  com- 
panionway  of  the  schooner  and  crept  noiselessly 
down  to  the  cabin. 

The  apartment  was  deserted,  and  the  swinging 
lamp  over  the  center  table  was  turned  low.  On  the 
table  rested  several  charts  which  Captain  Ponsberry 
had  been  consulting  before  joining  Tom  Grandon 
on  deck. 

It  was  Larry's  watch  below  and  he  was  improving 
the  time  by  taking  a  much-needed  nap.  He  lay  on 
the  berth  in  his  stateroom,  with  the  door  wide  open 
to  admit  the  fresh  air. 

"  Make  no  noise!  "  whispered  Shamhaven.  "  If 
we  are  discovered  the  jig  is  up  with  us." 

"  Russell  is  here,  yes  ?  "  came  from  Peterson. 

"  Sh-sh !     Yes — over  in  yonder  stateroom." 

They  closed  the  door  leading  to  the  companion- 
way  and  then  tiptoed  their  way  to  where  Larry  lay. 

"  More  than  likely  he  keeps  his  money  belt  under 
164 


DISAPPEARANCE   OF   THE   ENEMY  1 65 

his  pillow  when  he  sleeps,"  said  Shamhaven. 
"  Wait  till  I  find  out." 

He  shoved  his  hand  under  the  headrest  with  cau- 
tion and  presently  his  fingers  came  into  contact  with 
a  strip  of  leather  and  chamois.  He  pulled  on  it 
gently,  but  it  refused  to  budge. 

"  Lift  his  head  a  little,"  he  said,  and  Peterson 
started  to  do  as  requested.  But  the  movement, 
gentle  as  it  was,  caused  Larry  to  open  his  eyes. 

"  Wha — what  are  you  doing  here  ?  "  stammered 
the  young  second  mate,  when,  waiting  for  no  more 
words,  Peterson  clapped  a  dirty  hand  over  his 
mouth. 

"  Keep  still,  you !  If  you  no  keep  still  I  hit  you 
good,  yes ! " 

"  Confound  the  luck,"  muttered  Shamhaven.  "  I 
didn't  want  him  to  know  what  we  were  up  to." 

Larry  began  to  struggle  and  with  an  effort  threw 
aside  the  hand  over  his  mouth. 

"  Le — let  up !  "  he  spluttered.  "  I  want  you 

Help!" 

"  Shut  up !  "  cried  Shamhaven,  fiercely,  and  struck 
him  a  swinging  blow  in  the  temple.  Another  blow 
from  Peterson  followed,  and  then,  with  flashing 
lights  darting  through  his  brain,  Larry  lost  con- 
sciousness. 

Both  men  bent  over  him  to  see  if  he  would  move. 


l66  AT   THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

When  he  lay  as  still  as  if  dead  they  looked  at  each 
other  with  satisfaction. 

"  He  won't  bother  us  any  more — at  least,  not  for 
awhile,"  was  Shamhaven's  comment. 

"  Quick,  de  money  belt !  "  came  from  Peterson, 
and  as  he  raised  up  Larry's  head,  Shamhaven  secured 
it  and  stowed  it  away  in  the  bosom  of  his  shirt. 
"  You  no  keep  him ! "  he  went  on,  in  alarm,  show- 
ing that  he  did  not  trust  his  companion  in  crime. 

"  We'll  divide  up  afterwards,"  said  Shamhaven, 
briefly.  "  Now  to  locate  the  captain's  little  pile." 

Both  tiptoed  their  way  into  Captain  Ponsberry's 
stateroom.  Here  there  was  a  small  safe,  with  the 
door  closed. 

"  A  safe,  eh  ?  "  said  Shamhaven.  "  Wonder  if 
we  can  open  it  ?  " 

He  knelt  down  and  tried  to  work  the  combination 
lock.  The  safe  was  old  and  out  of  order  and  the 
captain  had  had  the  combination  lock  made  as  simple 
as  possible  in  consequence.  Soon  there  came  a  click, 
followed  by  another,  and  the  bolts  shot  back. 

"  Luck  is  with  us !  "  cried  Shamhaven. 

"  Dare  is  de  leetle  pag,"  came  from  Peterson,  and 
reaching  into  the  safe  he  drew  the  article  forth. 
There  was  a  slip  string  at  the  top  which  he  pulled 
apart. 

"Gold!"  he  cried.     "  See— dirty— forty  bieces 


DISAPPEARANCE   OF   THE   ENEMY  167 

of  gold ! "  And  then  he  shut  the  bag  again,  and 
placed  it  into  his  own  shirt  bosom. 

"  Remember,  half  of  that  is  mine,"  came  sharply 
from  Shamhaven.  He  fancied  there  might  be  more 
in  the  bag  than  in  the  money  belt. 

"  Yes, — an'  haf  de  money-pelt  money  ist  mine, 
yes,"  returned  Peterson. 

"  Right  you  are,  Peterson.  Now  to  get  away 
from  the  ship." 

"  Let  us  lock  Russell  in  de  stateroom  first." 

"A  good  idea!" 

The  door  was  closed  and  locked.  Larry  still  lay 
unconscious  and  there  was  no  telling  how  soon  he 
would  come  to  his  senses. 

They  heard  the  tramping  on  the  deck  and  the  de- 
parture of  the  small  boat.  Now  those  in  the  boat 
came  back  and  the  search  for  the  missing  men  came 
to  an  end. 

With  the  slyness  of  a  pair  of  cats,  the  evildoers 
crept  up  the  companionway  once  more.  Nobody 
was  in  sight,  and  they  crawled  rather  than  walked 
to  the  rail  of  the  schooner.  Both  were  good  swim- 
mers and  not  afraid  to  trust  themselves  to  reach 
some  other  shipping  in  the  harbor.  Yet  as  an  extra 
precaution  each  provided  himself  with  a  life-pre- 
server. 

"  Are  you  ready,  Peterson  ?  " 


l68  AT    THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  Yes." 

"  Then  over  we  go." 

A  small  rope  was  handy,  and  lowering  this,  each 
slid  along  it  into  the  waters  of  the  harbor.  Then 
they  struck  out  swiftly  but  silently;  and  in  a  few 
minutes  the  fog  and  darkness  hid  them  completely 
from  view. 

It  was  the  best  part  of  an  hour  before  Larry  re- 
turned to  his  senses.  His  head  ached  as  if  ready 
to  split  open  and  for  several  minutes  he  could  not 
remember  where  he  was  or  what  had  occurred. 

"Oh,  my  head!"  he  groaned.  "Oh!"  And 
he  turned  over  and  tried  to  sit  up,  with  the  result 
that  he  pitched  out  on  the  floor  of  the  stateroom. 
This  aroused  him  and  he  got  up  as  quickly  as  he 
could. 

"  Those  rascals  attacked  me ! "  he  muttered. 
"  They  struck  me  over  the  head !  I  remember  now ! 
Oh,  how  my  head  spins, — just  as  if  I  was  in  a 
merry-go-round !  I  wonder " 

He  dropped  on  the  berth  and  snatched  away  the 
pillow.  One  glance  was  sufficient  to  show  him  how 
he  had  been  robbed. 

"  That's  why  they  attacked  me ! "  he  cried. 
"  Wonder  where  they  are  now  ?  Perhaps  they  ran 
away  from  the  ship !  " 

Leaping  up  again  he  stepped  to  the  door,  and 


DISAPPEARANCE   OF   THE   ENEMY  169 

finding  it  locked,  began  to  pound  away  lustily,  at 
the  same  time  yelling  at  the  top  of  his  lungs.  In  a 
few  minutes  this  brought  down  Captain  Ponsberry, 
followed  by  Luke,  who  had  been  told  to  come  along, 
the  captain  fearing  that  something  had  gone  wrong. 

"  What's  up  here  ?  "  demanded  Captain  Ponsberry 
as  he  flung  open  the  door. 

"Where  are  they?"  came  the  counter-question 
from  Larry. 

"They?     Who?" 

"  Peterson  and  Shamhaven  ?  " 

"  Gone — slid  away  in  the  fog." 

"  They  have  robbed  me !  " 

"You  don't  say!"  ejaculated  the  master  of  the 
Columbia.  "You  are  sure?"  he  went  on. 

"  Yes.  My  money  belt  is  gone.  They  came 
while  I  was  asleep,  and  when  I  woke  up  both  hit  me, 
— and  I  don't  know  what  happened  after  that.  I 
just  came  to  my  senses  and  found  myself  locked  in." 

"  The  villains !  "  burst  in  Luke.  "  Those  chaps 
ought  to  be  swung  up  to  a  yardarm !  " 

The  captain  listened  to  Larry's  story  and  then 
was  prompted  to  take  a  look  around  the  other  state- 
rooms. As  a  result  he  speedily  discovered  that  the 
safe  had  been  tampered  with  and  that  his  own  money 
was  gone. 

"  They  are  worse  rascals  than  I  thought  them," 


AT    THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

said  Captain  Ponsberry,  bitterly.  "  I  am  sorry  that 
I  did  not  make  an  example  of  them  from  the  start." 

There  was  a  good  deal  of  speculation  concerning 
what  had  become  of  Shamhaven  and  Peterson,  and 
another  search  was  instituted,  lasting  until  the  fol- 
lowing day,  but  not  a  single  trace  of  the  evildoers 
could  be  found. 

"  Well,  I  am  out  the  whole  of  my  savings,"  said 
Larry  to  Luke. 

"  It's  a  shame,  lad,"  replied  the  Yankee  tar. 
"  But  if  you  need  ready  cash  don't  fail  to  draw  on 
me.  As  long  as  I  have  a  shot  in  the  locker  half  on 
it  is  yours." 

"  Thank  you,  Luke ;  I  know  you'd  say  that. 
You're  the  proper  kind  of  a  friend  to  have." 

"  Avast,  Larry,  with  your  compliments.  Would- 
n't you  do  the  same  fer  me  ?  " 

"Indeed  I  would!" 

"  Then  it  ain't  worth  talkin'  about.  Jest  the  same, 
I  hope  we  run  into  them  rascals  some  day;  don't 
you?" 

"  I  do.  But  more  than  likely  they'll  give  the  Co- 
lumbia and  us  a  wide  berth  after  this,"  returned 
Larry. 


CHAPTER  XX 

LARRY   BEFORE  ADMIRAL   TOGO 

As  soon  as  the  Columbia  could  make  the  proper 
landing,  Captain  Ponsberry  went  ashore  and  re- 
ported his  arrival  to  the  authorities,  and  also  re- 
ported the  escape  of  Shamhaven  and  Peterson.  The 
authorities  had  already  heard  of  the  capture  of  the 
Columbia  from  the  Russians,  and  said  that  the 
schooner  would  have  to  remain  at  Nagasaki  until 
the  whole  case  could  be  adjusted.  The  Japanese 
were  inclined  to  favor  both  the  Richmond  Import- 
ing Company  and  the  owners  of  the  vessel,  so  it  was 
not  likely  that  our  friends  would  lose  much  in  the 
end.  In  the  meantime  the  Columbia  could  be  put 
in  a  dry-dock  and  given  the  overhauling  that  she 
needed. 

"  We  shall  do  all  we  can  to  locate  Shamhaven 
and  Peterson  and  get  back  your  money,"  said  an 
official  of  the  secret  service  department.  But  his 
hands  were  so  full  with  other  matters  of  greater  im- 
portance that  little  attention  was  paid  to  the  dis- 
appearance of  the  two  rascals. 

171 


AT    THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  Well,  this  will  tie  me  up  at  Nagasaki  for  some 
time  to  come/'  said  Captain  Ponsberry  to  Larry, 
on  the  third  day  after  arriving  at  the  Japanese  port. 

"  Which  means,  I  suppose,  that  I  can  join  the 
Japanese  navy  if  I  wish,"  returned  the  young  sec- 
ond mate,  quickly. 

"  I  don't  want  to  force  you  to  leave  the  ship,  lad. 
But  you  said " 

"  I  know,  Captain  Ponsberry,  and  I  am  glad  of 
the  chance  to  get  away.  Luke  and  I  have  talked  it 
over  once  more,  and  yesterday  we  met  a  gunner 
named  Steve  Colton — he  served  on  the  Brooklyn  at 
the  time  Walter  did.  He  is  now  a  gun  captain  on 
board  of  Admiral  Togo's  flagship,  and  he  is  almost 
certain  he  can  get  us  good  positions.  He  says  gun- 
ners and  gunners'  assistants  are  just  now  badly 
needed." 

"  Then  go  by  all  means,  Larry,  and  make  even  a 
bigger  record  for  yourself  than  your  brother  Ben  is 
making  in  the  army.  Perhaps,  when  this  war  is 
over,  you'll  come  back  to  the  old  Columbia,  eh  ?  " 

"  More  than  likely,  and  I  guess  Luke  Striker  will 
come,  too." 

What  Larry  had  said  about  meeting  Steve  Colton 
was  true.  As  readers  of  a  story  of  mine  entitled 
"  Fighting  in  Cuban  Waters "  know,  Colton  had 
been  a  gun  captain  under  Commodore  Schley,  and 


LARRY  BEFORE  ADMIRAL  TOGO       173 

as  such  had  become  fairly  well  acquainted  with 
Walter  Russell  and  had  also  heard  of  Larry,  who 
was  at  that  time  serving  under  Admiral  Dewey  at 
Manila. 

A  detail  from  Admiral  Togo's  flagship  had  been 
sent  ashore  at  Nagasaki,  and  Larry  and  Luke,  as 
they  walked  through  the  streets,  had  met  several  of 
these  men.  Hearing  two  of  them  speaking  Eng- 
lish they  had  halted  the  pair ;  and  introductions  had 
followed. 

"  So  you  are  Larry  Russell,"  said  Steve  Colton. 
"  Any  relation  to  Walter  Russell  that  once  served  on 
the  U.  S.  Cruiser  Brooklyn?  " 

"  Walter  is  my  brother,"  replied  Larry,  quickly. 

"  Oh,  so  you  are  the  chap  that  was  cast  away  in 
the  Pacific  and  picked  up  by  Admiral  Dewey's  flag- 
ship, eh?" 

"  The  same,  and  this  is  the  friend  who  was  with 
me,  Luke  Striker." 

"  Glad  to  know  ye  both."  Steve  Colton  shook 
hands.  "  This  is  my  friend,  Bob  Stanford — he 
hails  from  San  Francisco  and  is  a  gunner's  mate 
with  me.  What  are  you  doing  in  this  corner  of  the 
earth?" 

A  long  talk  followed,  in  which  Larry  and  Luke 
told  their  story,  and  Steve  Colton  and  his  friend 
Delated  how  they  had  come  to  join  the  Japanese  navy. 


174  AT   THE  FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  It's  this  way,"  said  Colton.  "  I've  got  the  fight- 
ing blood  in  my  veins  and  it  won't  come  out.  As 
soon  as  this  war  broke  out,  I  cut  sticks  from 
'Frisco  with  Bob  and  we  comes  to  Tokio.  There 
I  met  another  American  who  was  in  the  navy  here, 
and  it  wasn't  two  days  before  we  were  booked  for 
Admiral  Togo's  flagship.  We've  been  down  to  Port 
Arthur  twice,  and  I  reckon  we'll  go  again  before 
long." 

"  Perhaps  we'll  go  up  to  Vladivostok  next  time," 
came  from  Bob  Stanford.  "  I've  heard  something 
of  bombarding  that  Russian  port." 

Colton  and  Stanford  had  a  couple  of  hours  to 
themselves  and  Larry  and  Luke  invited  them  over 
to  the  Columbia.  In  return  they  were  asked  to  come 
over  to  Admiral  Togo's  flagship,  the  gunners  having 
the  privilege  of  bringing  their  friends  aboard  dur- 
ing the  brief  stay  in  Nagasaki  harbor. 

"  You  can  come  aboard  to-morrow,"  said  Steve 
Colton.  "  They  have  an  inspection  and  drill,  and 
you  can  see  how  they  do  it  in  the  Japanese  navy — 
not  but  what  it's  a  good  bit  like  it's  done  on  Uncle 
Sam's  warships." 

Larry  and  Luke  were  very  willing  to  go  aboard 
of  the  Japanese  warship,  and  were  taken  out  by  Col- 
ton the  next  day,  and  introduced  to  several  gun- 
ners and  others  who  could  speak  a  little  English. 


LARRY  BEFORE  ADMIRAL  TOGO       1/5 

They  were  also  taken  before  the  head  gunner,  who 
took  them  to  the  commander  of  the  warship. 

"  They  both  served  under  Admiral  Dewey  at 
Manila,"  said  the  head  gunner,  and  this  made  the 
commander  smile  quietly  as  he  shook  hands  and 
told  them  to  make  themselves  at  home. 

"  Everything  is  as  clean  as  a  whistle,"  was  Larry's 
comment,  as  they  walked  around  the  forward  part 
of  the  warship  and  through  the  gun  decks.  "  The 
Japs  certainly  know  how  to  take  care  of  things. 
Luke,  just  look  at  how  the  brass  work  shines !  " 

"  That's  the  way  it  ought  to  be,"  was  the  Yankee 
tar's  reply.  "  No  slackness,  an'  I'm  glad  on  it.  I 
love  a  clean  ship  above  all  things." 

Steve  Colton  and  Bob  Stanford  were  enthusiastic 
over  the  gun  they  commanded  and  explained  how  it 
worked.  It  was  certainly  an  effective  weapon  and 
Larry  and  Luke  were  thoroughly  interested. 

"  I  could  handle  sech  a  gun  myself,"  said  Luke. 
"  An'  do  some  damage,  too;  eh,  Larry?  " 

"  Anyway,  I'd  like  to  try  it,"  returned  the  youth. 

Orders  were  now  being  issued  for  the  inspection 
and  drill,  and  presently  nearly  all  on  board  of  the 
flagship  hurried  to  the  main  deck.  Here  the  ma- 
rines were  drawn  up  in  long  lines,  with  the  officers 
in  their  proper  places.  The  sailors  and  gunners  were 
also  at  hand,  each  togged  out  in  his  best,  for  inspec- 


AT   THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

tion  by  an  admiral  on  any  warship  means  a  great 
deal. 

Presently  Admiral  Togo  appeared,  followed  by 
several  other  naval  officers  of  lesser  rank.  He  was 
in  full  dress,  with  many  decorations  on  his  breast, 
and  carried  his  sword.  He  proved  to  be  a  man  well 
along  in  years,  with  a  round  face,  and  small  mus- 
tache and  goatee. 

"  He  looks  like  a  fighter !  "  whispered  Larry. 

"True  for  you,  lad,"  returned  Luke.  "An'  I 
reckon  he  knows  how  to  handle  men." 

What  our  friends  said  about  Admiral  Togo  was 
true.  He  was  a  fighter  and  a  born  leader  of  men. 
When  the  Naval  Academy  of  Japan  was  inaugurated 
he  was  one  of  the  first  graduates,  and  he  was  sent 
by  the  government  to  complete  his  nautical  educa- 
tion in  England,  where,  during  1873  and  1874,  he 
served  on  the  training  ship  Worcester,  making  a 
record  for  himself  as  a  first-class  pupil  in  every  re- 
spect. 

On  returning  home  Togo  Heihachiro — to  use  his 
full  name — found  a  great  task  confronting  his  peo- 
ple. They  were  becoming  civilized  as  we  term 
civilization  and  needed  a  modern  navy.  He  set  to 
work  with  vim  and  vigor,  and  then  and  there  laid 
the  foundation  of  that  navy  which  is  to-day  known 
as  one  of  the  most  effective  in  the  world. 


LARRY    BEFORE    ADMIRAL   TOGO  177 

The  navy  had  scarcely  come  into  existence  when 
there  came  rumors  of  war  with  China.  The  rumors 
grew,  and  China  became  more  and  more  hateful 
toward  the  Japanese.  To  the  outside  world  it 
looked  as  if  China,  with  her  vast  territory  and  her 
immense  number  of  people,  would  swallow  up  the 
sons  of  Nippon  bodily. 

At  last  it  was  discovered  that  China  was  trans- 
porting troops  with  which  to  begin  the  war.  Togo 
waited  for  no  instructions  from  his  home  govern- 
ment. He  went  at  the  Chinese  with  vigor.  The 
war  followed,  and  after  a  number  of  thrilling  con- 
tests the  Japanese  were  victorious,  and  Admiral 
Togo  emerged  from  the  struggle  covered  with  glory. 

"  He  is  the  man  to  lead  us  to  victory  against  the 
Russians !  "  was  the  cry  throughout  the  navy,  when 
war  was  declared  between  Russia  and  Japan,  and 
how  he  sent  his  ships  to  Port  Arthur  and  other 
places,  and  what  effective  work  was  done  by  them, 
has  already  been  related.  In  the  whole  of  the  Japa- 
nese navy,  to  serve  on  the  admiral's  flagship,  the 
Mikasa,  was  considered  a  great  honor. 

The  inspection  and  drill  were  exceedingly  interest- 
ing to  Larry  and  Luke,  and  they  watched  both  with 
close  attention.  After  it  was  over  Admiral  Togo 
addressed  the  men  briefly  and  then  turned  to  the 
commander  of  the  ship. 


178  AT    THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  See,  he  is  pointing  to  us !  "  whispered  Luke. 
"  Hang  me  if  I  don't  think  he  is  talking  about  us  to 
the  captain ! " 

"  An  officer  is  coming,"  replied  Larry,  and  a  mo- 
ment later  one  of  the  admiral's  staff  came  hurrying 
to  them. 

"  Are  you  the  two  Americans  who  served  under 
Admiral  Dewey  at  Manila?"  questioned  the  staff 
officer. 

"  We  are,"  answered  Larry. 

"  Admiral  Togo  wishes  you  to  come  to  him." 

"  Oh,  Luke,  we  are  going  to  be  presented  to  the 
admiral !  "  cried  Larry. 

"  Great  pewter !  "  groaned  the  Yankee  tar.  "  I 
didn't  expect  this  nohow.  But  I  don't  care,"  he 
added,  bracing  up.  "  He  ain't  no  bigger  nor 
Dewey.  Come  along." 

He  followed  the  staff  officer  and  Larry  did  the 
same.  They  felt  that  the  eyes  of  many  of  the  sailors 
and  marines  were  on  them,  and  stepped  out  as  firmly 
as  possible.  Coming  up  to  the  admiral,  they  took 
off  their  caps  and  saluted. 

Admiral  Togo  surveyed  the  two  Americans  with 
interest.  He  had  heard  how  they  had  come  to 
serve  under  Dewey  at  Manila  and  he  smiled  pleas- 
antly as  he  held  out  his  hand,  first  to  Larry  and 
then  to  Luke. 


LARRY  BEFORE  ADMIRAL  TOGO       1/9 

"  Let  me  give  you  a  welcome,  my  men,"  said  he. 
"  I  have  been  told  your  story.  I  hope  this  visit  to 
my  ship  has  interested  you." 

"  Very  much,  sir,"  answered  Luke. 

"  I  liked  the  drill,  sir,"  answered  Larry,  with  a 
smile.  "  It  was  fine.  And  everything  is  so  clean ! 
Really,  I  don't  think  it  could  be  cleaner !  " 

At  this  Admiral  Togo  smiled  again.  "  That  is  a 
compliment, — since  it  comes  from  one  who  has 
served  in  the  American  navy." 

He  then  asked  them  to  remain  where  they  were, 
while  some  of  the  men  went  through  an  exercise 
with  their  cutlasses.  There  was  also  a  gun  drill, 
and  they  were  asked  to  show  how  they  had  handled 
a  gun  during  the  battle  of  Manila  Bay. 

"  You  are  well  drilled,  I  can  see  that,"  said  the 
admiral,  on  dismissing  them.  "  They  tell  me  you 
think  of  entering  our  navy.  If  you  wish  to  do  so 
I  think  likely  we  can  find  suitable  openings  for  you." 


CHAPTER  XXI 

LETTERS   OF   INTEREST 

THE  enlistment  of  Larry  and  Luke  Striker  into 
the  Japanese  navy  came  sooner  than  anticipated. 
A  new  warship  was  being  fittted  out  at  a  harbor 
some  forty  miles  from  Nagasaki,  and  Steve  Colton 
and  Bob  Stanford  were  transferred  to  this.  Two 
new  gun  crews  were  badly  needed  on  the  new  ship, 
and  inside  of  forty-eight  hours  our  friends  had 
signed  the  muster  roll  and  were  put  into  training, 
under  Colton.  The  positions  occupied  were  those 
of  gunner  and  gunner's  mate. 

"  Hurrah  for  Nippon !  "  cried  Larry,  enthusiasti- 
cally. "  Luke,  after  this  we  have  got  to  learn  to 
yell  Banzai!  in  true  Japanese  style." 

"  This  gun  is  a  beauty,"  replied  the  Yankee  tar,  as 
he  looked  the  piece  over.  "  I  reckon  as  I  can  make 
her  do  considerable  damage  if  I  get  the  chance." 

"  And  I'll  help  all  I  can,"  said  Larry.  "  Won't 
Ben  and  Gilbert  be  surprised  when  they  hear  of 
this?"  he  added. 

"  They  might  know  you'd  do  something  of  the 
sort." 

1 80 


LETTERS   OF   INTEREST  l8l 

"  That's  so,  too.  By  the  way,  I'm  going  up  to 
the  post-office  to-day  and  see  if  there  are  any 
letters." 

Much  to  the  satisfaction  of  our  friends  they  found 
over  a  score  of  men  on  the  warship  who  could  speak 
English.  Some,  of  course,  could  speak  but  little, 
yet  they  could  make  themselves  understood.  On  the 
other  hand,  both  Larry  and  Luke  began  to  pick  up 
the  Japanese  language  remarkably  fast. 

"  If  we  keep  at  this  for  six  months  we'll  be  regu- 
lar Japanese,"  said  the  youth.  "  It's  not  so  hard 
as  I  thought  it  would  be." 

They  found  the  discipline  on  the  warship  very 
strict  and  were  called  on  to  "  toe  the  mark  "  con- 
tinually. Yet  all  the  officers  were  as  considerate  as 
they  were  firm,  so  there  was  little  of  hardship. 

When  Larry  called  at  the  post-office  for  letters  he 
found  two  good-sized  epistles  awaiting  him.  One 
was  from  his  brother  Walter,  and  ran,  in  part,  as 
follows : 

"  There  is  nothing  particularly  new  in  this  part 
of  the  globe.  I  am  doing  very  well  in  my  new 
business  and  it  looks  now  as  if  I  should  make  a  big 
thing  of  it.  I  rather  think  I  am  more  cut  out  for 
work  on  land  than  for  life  on  shipboard,  although 
I  don't  regret  the  time  I  spent  in  the  navy. 


1 82  AT    THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  Uncle  Job  is  feeling  very  well  these  days  and  is 
building  a  new  wing  to  the  old  house — going  to  put 
in  a  library  of  good  books  he  tells  me.  He  is  as  dear 
an  old  chap  now  as  anybody  would  want  for  an 
uncle. 

"  I  suppose  you  will  hear  from  Ben  and  Gilbert. 
I  am  expecting  a  letter  every  day.  It's  queer  you 
didn't  go  with  them,  but  I  suppose  the  old  Columbia 
with  her  crew  suits  you  better." 

"  I  am  glad  everything  is  all  right  at  home," 
thought  Larry,  as  he  finished  reading  the  communi- 
cation. "  A  new  wing  to  the  house,  eh  ?  Uncle 
Job  must  be  spreading  himself.  Reckon  he  has 
found  out  there  is  something  more  to  live  for  in  this 
world  than  mere  money." 

The  second  letter  was  from  Ben,  as  he  could  tell 
by  the  handwriting.  It  had  been  on  the  way  a 
long  time  and  had  been  sent  to  half  a  dozen  places, 
including  Manila.  There  was  a  great  deal  about 
life  in  the  Japanese  army,  and  also  a  full  description 
of  the  capture  of  Liao-Yang.  Ben  then  continued : 

"  We  are  now  on  guard  a  few  miles  outside  of  the 
city.  Our  camp  stretches  for  many  miles,  and  we 
are  doing  all  in  our  power  to  strengthen  our  position. 
What  the  next  move  will  be  there  is  no  telling.  One 


LETTERS    OF    INTEREST  1 83 

report  is,  that  our  particular  command  will  help  to 
chase  the  Russians  to  Mukden,  while  another  report 
has  it  that  we  are  to  march  southward,  to  aid  in  the 
attempt  to  take  Port  Arthur. 

"  I  have  already  told  you  what  trouble  Gilbert 
had  with  that  rascally  Russian  merchant,  Ivan 
Snokoff,  and  with  Snokoff's  confederate,  Captain 
Barusky,  of  the  Russian  army.  Well,  at  Liao-Yang 
we  found  Snokoff  disguised  as  a  Chinaman,  and 
Gilbert  made  the  fellow  pay  over  all  that  was  coming 
to  him  for  the  Richmond  Importing  Company.  In 
the  attempt  to  capture  Snokoff,  Gilbert  shot  him  in 
the  leg.  It  was  only  a  slight  wound,  but  the  Rus- 
sian was  as  mad  as  a  hornet,  and  he  vowed  he  would 
get  square  some  time.  He  is  now  in  the  hospital 
here,  but  they  expect  to  let  him  leave  in  a  few  days. 
He  really  ought  to  be  put  under  arrest,  but  as  he  has 
paid  up  the  money  he  owed,  there  doesn't  seem  to 
be  any  way  of  holding  him.  It's  out  of  the  question 
to  go  to  court  with  the  case.  I  helped  Gilbert  to  put 
Snokoff  under  guard,  and  he  is  as  angry  at  me  as  he 
is  at  Gilbert.  I  don't  know  if  he  will  dare  to  do 
anything  or  not,  but  both  of  us  are  keeping  our  eyes 
open." 

Larry  read  this  letter  twice  before  he  stowed  it 
away.  He  was  always  interested  in  war  news  and 


1 84  AT    THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

he  thought  the  description  of  the  great  battle  of 
Liao-Yang  very  realistic.  He  shook  his  curly  head 
when  he  thought  of  Ivan  Snokoff. 

"  He  must  be  an  underhanded  rascal  if  ever  there 
was  one,"  he  mused.  "  And  to  think  he  disguised 
himself  as  a  Chinaman !  I'll  wager  Gilbert  thought 
it  a  fine  thing  to  expose  him  and  make  him  pay  up. 
But  he  and  Ben  had  better  look  out,  or  Snokoff  and 
that  Captain  Barusky  may  cause  them  a  lot  of 
trouble." 

Larry  had  an  hour  to  himself,  and  he  spent  the 
time  in  answering  both  letters,  telling  briefly  what 
had  happened  to  him  since  the  trip  to  Manila  and 
how  he  and  Luke  were  now  in  service  on  board 
of  the  Japanese  warship  Shohirika.  He  added  that 
he  liked  the  position  of  gunner's  mate  very  much,  and 
that  he  meant  to  make  a  record  for  himself  if  given 
the  opportunity  to  do  so.  He  also  told  about  the 
doings  of  Shamhaven  and  Peterson,  and  said  he 
hoped  to  bring  them  to  justice,  although  he  realized 
that  looking  for  them  was  as  bad  as  "  looking  for 
a  pearl  on  the  ocean  bottom." 

The  letters  finished,  he  addressed  and  posted 
them,  and  then  he  and  Luke  took  a  short  stroll 
through  Nagasaki,  past  the  many  curious  shops,  and 
the  fine  residences.  Some  of  the  shop  windows  dis- 
played flaring  war  pictures,  done  in  glaring  colors, 


LETTERS   OF   INTEREST  1 8$ 

— all  telling  of  tremendous  Japanese  victories  on 
land  and  sea. 

"  They  certainly  believe  in  tooting  their  own 
horn,"  said  Larry,  with  a  laugh  over  one  of  the  pic- 
tures. "  Just  see  this  one,  Luke — one  Japanese 
officer  mowing  down  three  Russians  with  his 
sword ! " 

"  They  ain't  no  worse  nor  we  had  at  home  during 
the  Spanish  war,  lad.  I  know  one  picture  I  see  o'  a 
Rough  Rider  riding  down  half  a  dozen  Spanish 
soldiers.  An'  the  truth  o'  the  matter  is,  them  Rough 
Riders  didn't  have  no  horses  at  all  but  fought  on 
foot!" 

"  You're  right,  Luke.  We'll  have  to  put  all  such 
pictures  down  as  freaks  of  the  artist's  imagination. 
But  I  guess  I  know  why  some  of  them  are  put  out 
— to  draw  the  young  fellows  into  the  army  and 
navy." 

"  Right  ye  are.  Some  fellers  seeing  a  picture  like 
that  want  to  march  to  glory  right  off, — an'  so  they 
go  an'  enlist.  When  it  conies  to  hardtack  an'  black 
coffee " 

"  Hold  on,  Luke.  Remember  you  are  in  Japan. 
Here  it  is  rice  and  tea." 

"  So  it  is,  Larry.  Say,  but  I  had  to  laugh  yester- 
day, when  I  see  some  of  them  jackies  on  board  o'  our 
ship  gettin'  out  their  teapots  with  tea." 


i86  AT    THE    FALL    OF    PORT    ARTHUR 

"  It  did  look  funny.  But  they  do  the  same  thing 
in  the  army,  so  I  have  been  told.  They  can  make 
the  Japanese  soldier  and  sailor  do  everything  as  we 
do  it  but  give  up  his  tea." 

"  Well,  I  reckon  tea  is  better  nor  rum." 

"  Certainly  it  is, — and  if  I  were  an  officer  I'd  let 
them  have  all  the  tea  they  wanted — if  they  would 
fight  any  better  for  it." 

"  Those  Russian  sailors  and  soldiers  drink  an 
awful  lot  of  vodka.  I  should  think  they  would  try 
to  stop  that.  A  half-drunken  sailor  or  soldier  isn't 
of  any  account." 

"  They  are  so  used  to  having  it,  I've  been  told, 
that  to  stop  it  would  bring  on  a  regular  mutiny. 
It's  hard  to  break  off  using  a  thing  when  you  are 
used  to  it." 

"  Right  ye  are,  lad;  a  habit  if  it  ain't  proper  is 
something  awful." 

All  was  bustle  throughout  Nagasaki,  for  several 
regiments  of  soldiers  had  come  in,  bound  for  some 
transports  which  were  to  take  them  to  Manchuria. 
Banners  were  flying  everywhere,  and  from  a  dis- 
tance came  the  music  of  a  band. 

"  Wonder  how  soon  we  will  leave,"  said  Larry, 
when  he  and  his  old  friend  were  returning  to  the 
warship.  "  Now  that  we  have  enlisted,  I'd  like  to 
see  some  fighting." 


LETTERS   OF   INTEREST  1 8? 

"  Maybe  we'll  get  more  fighting  than  we  want, 
lad.  But  I'd  like  to  get  into  it  myself,"  continued 
the  Yankee  gunner,  with  a  grin. 

Two  days  more  were  spent  at  Nagasaki,  and  then, 
on  a  clear  morning,  the  Shohirika  left  the  harbor 
and  steamed  off  in  company  with  two  sister  ships. 
They  were  to  join  a  squadron  bound  for  the  western 
coast  of  Korea,  but  where  they  were  to  go  after  that 
there  was  no  telling. 

Captain  Ponsberry  came  to  see  Larry  and  Luke 
off.  "  Take  good  care  of  yourselves,"  said  the  mas- 
ter of  the  Columbia.  "  An'  teach  them  Russians  the 
lesson  they  deserve." 

"  We  expect  to  do  our  duty,"  answered  Larry. 

Life  on  the  Japanese  warship  proved  to  be  very 
much  like  life  in  the  American  navy.  There  were 
hours  set  apart  for  various  drills  and  exercises. 
Each  day  they  had  to  go  through  the  movements  of 
handling  the  gun,  fighting  with  cutlasses,  putting 
out  a  fire,  and  manning  the  small  boats.  They  also 
had  to  keep  their  ditty  bags  and  grass  hammocks 
in  good  order,  also  their  eating  utensils,  and  each 
had  to  do  his  share  of  cleaning  up.  Twice  a  week 
the  ship's  surgeon  examined  each  man,  to  see  that 
he  was  perfectly  healthy. 

"  I  like  this  keeping  things  clean,"  said  Larry. 
"  It  is  bound  to  make  for  good  health." 


1 88  AT    THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  They  tell  me  that  Japanese  sailors  and  soldiers 
are  among  the  healthiest  in  the  world,"  answered 
Luke. 

In  a  few  days  the  southern  point  of  Korea  was 
passed  and  the  bow  of  the  warship  was  pointed 
toward  the  eastern  coast  of  Manchuria.  They  were 
now  getting  close  to  the  battleground  and  the  look- 
out was  constantly  watching  for  the  appearance  of 
the  ships  of  the  enemy. 

"  We'll  have  a  fight  before  very  long — I  can  feel 
it  in  my  bones,"  declared  Larry.  And  he  was  right: 
but  before  telling  of  that  contest,  and  what  sur- 
prising results  it  led  to,  we  shall  have  to  tell  of  some- 
thing else  which  occurred,  to  delight  Larry  ex- 
ceedingly. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

A  MEETING  AND  A  PLOT 

"  SOME  Japanese  transports  are  coming  up,"  said 
Larry,  two  days  later.  "  Six  of  them,  and  they  are 
crowded  to  the  rails  with  soldiers." 

"  I  reckon  we  are  to  act  as  an  escort  to  them," 
replied  Luke.  "  They  would  need  an  escort,  if  they 
fell  in  with  a  Russian  cruiser  or  two." 

The  Japanese  transports  were  bound  for  the  coast 
of  Manchuria,  to  land  near  the  village  of  Petaka. 
Soon  they  fell  in  behind  the  Shohirika;  and  then 
those  on  the  warship  knew  that  they  were  going 
to  go  close  to  shore,  if  not  to  make  an  actual  landing. 

A  fog  came  up  that  night,  which  made  the  trans- 
ports hold  off.  But  the  next  day  was  as  bright  and 
clear  as  before,  and  about  noon  land  was  sighted  to 
the  westward.  A  patrol  boat  was  sent  ahead  and 
came  back  stating  that  all  was  clear  for  a  landing. 
Then  the  warships  went  closer  and  the  transports 
followed. 

On  the  following  day  Larry  found  himself  on 
shore — having  been  taken  along  by  one  of  the  offi- 

189 


I9O  AT    THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

cers  of  the  ship  to  interview  an  English  merchant 
who  wished  to  sell  some  goods  to  the  Japanese. 
The  officer  could  speak  some  English,  but  wanted 
somebody  along  who  could  help  him  out  in  case  he 
could  not  make  himself  clearly  understood. 

The  landing  was  at  a  small  Chinese  town  which 
was  partly  in  ashes — the  Russians  having  tried  to 
burn  it  down  before  leaving.  There  were  a  dozen 
shops,  but  all  were  closed  and  with  the  windows 
boarded  up.  Many  of  the  Chinese  had  fled  to  the 
country  beyond;  and  a  Japanese  regiment  was  on 
guard  to  preserve  order  and  to  keep  the  Chunchuses, 
(Chinese  brigands)  from  looting  the  place. 

"  This  shows  what  war  will  do,"  thought  Larry, 
as  he  walked  along  beside  the  Japanese  naval  officer. 
"  I  suppose  some  of  the  Chinese  have  lost  all  they 
possessed — and  through  no  fault  of  their  own 
either." 

The  business  with  the  English  merchant  was  trans- 
acted quicker  than  anticipated,  and,  not  caring  to 
go  back  to  his  ship  at  once,  the  naval  officer  visited 
the  camp  of  the  Japanese  regiment,  taking  Larry 
with  him. 

"  We  expect  another  detachment  here  this  after- 
noon," said  one  of  the  regimental  commanders  to 
the  naval  officer.  "They  are  to  escort  a  powder 
train  through  the  mountains." 


A   MEETING   AND   A   PLOT  IQI 

A  little  while  later  the  detachment  came  in  on  foot, 
looking  somewhat  tired  and  dusty  from  a  long  tramp 
through  an  exceedingly  rough  country.  As  the  sol- 
diers came  to  a  halt  in  the  public  square  of  the 
seaport  village,  Larry  uttered  a  cry  of  amaze- 
ment: 

"Ben!" 

"  Why,  Larry,  can  it  be  you?  "  came  in  a  tone 
of  astonishment,  and  on  the  instant  Ben  Russell 
rushed  forward  and  caught  his  brother  by  the  hands. 
"  I  must  be  dreaming !  " 

"  I  guess  I'm  dreaming  myself!  "  said  Larry,  and 
gave  his  brother  a  warm  hug.  "  This  beats  the 
Dutch!  I  thought  you  were  at  Liao-Yang.  How 
are  you  and  how  did  you  get  here?  " 

"  One  question  at  a  time,  please,"  returned  Ben, 
with  a  happy  smile.  "  I'm  pretty  well,  although  I 
had  a  little  dose  of  fever  a  couple  of  weeks  ago.  Our 
Japanese  doctor  fixed  me  up  in  double-quick  time. 
Our  command  was  ordered  down  here  to  look  after 
a  powder  train.  There  was  a  report  that  either  the 
Russians  or  the  Chunchuses  were  going  to  try  to 
capture  it  or  blow  it  up.  Now,  how  have  you  been, 
and  what  are  you  doing  here?  I  thought  the  old 
Columbia  was  at  Nagasaki." 

"  You  want  to  know  as  much  as  I  do,  Ben." 
There  was  a  pause  and  both  laughed  merrily,  they 


192  AT   THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

felt  so  happy.  "  I'm  as  sound  as  a  fiddle.  The 
Columbia  is  at  Nagasaki  and  likely  to  stay  there 
for  some  time.  Allow  me  to  introduce  myself, 
Lawrence  Russell,  gunner's  mate  aboard  of  the 
Mikado's  cruiser  Shohirika.  My  head  gunner  is 
Luke  Striker,  Esquire." 

"  Never !  "  burst  from  Ben.  "  Well,  this  cer- 
tainly is  news.  So  you  and  Luke  enlisted?  Have 
you  had  any  righting?  " 

"  Not  exactly.  But  we  have  seen  some  rough 
times,"  answered  Larry,  and  then,  as  soon  as  Ben 
could  get  away  for  a  quiet  half-hour,  he  related  his 
story  in  detail,  just  as  I  have  set  it  down  in  these 
pages. 

"  You  are  assuredly  a  lucky  chap,  Larry,  not  to 
be  in  a  Russian  prison  this  minute,"  said  his  brother, 
after  the  young  sailor  had  finished. 

"  Perhaps  I  am  lucky,  Ben.  But  it  wasn't  much 
of  luck  to  have  that  Shamhaven  and  Peterson  walk 
off  with  my  money  belt." 

"  That  is  so,  but  as  the  amount  taken  wasn't  a  for- 
tune I  shouldn't  worry  about  it.  I  can  let  you  have 
any  money  you  need." 

"  I  don't  need  any,  and,  besides,  Luke  is  acting  as 
my  banker.  But  now  tell  me  about  yourself." 

"  There  isn't  very  much  to  tell,  outside  of  what 
I  put  down  in  that  letter  you  received.  As  you 


A   MEETING   AND   A    PLOT  1 93 

know,  Gilbert  and  I  are  both  attached  to  this  com- 
mand of  Major  Okopa." 

"  Where  is  Gilbert  now?  " 

"  His  company  was  to  bring  up  the  rear.  They'll 
be  here  very  shortly.  Since  the  battle  of  Liao- 
Yang  we  have  been  on  special  duty,  looking  after 
the  pack  and  powder  trains,  and  have  seen  very 
little  of  fighting.  We  are  reinforcing  our  lines 
daily,  and  I  think  the  Russians  must  be  doing  the 
same.  I  expect  some  more  heavy  fighting  soon,  un- 
less winter  steps  in  and  puts  a  stop  to  everything. 
The  nights  are  already  rather  cool,"  added  Ben. 

It  was  half  an  hour  later  that  the  company  under 
Gilbert  came  in,  having  in  their  custody  two  Chinese 
bandits  that  had  tried  to  steal  four  horses  belonging 
to  two  Japanese  army  carts. 

"  So  it's  really  you,  Larry !  "  cried  the  young 
Southerner,  as  he  shook  hands.  "  I'm  mightily  glad 
to  see  you  and  see  you  looking  so  well.  I  suppose 
Ben  has  told  you  all  the  news." 

"  Yes,  and  Larry  has  been  telling  some  too,"  put 
in  Ben.  "  He  has  seen  almost  as  much  of  the  Rus- 
sians as  we  have."  And  then  Larry's  story  had  to 
be  told  again. 

"  I  don't  know  where  we  shall  go  after  we  leave 
here,"  said  the  young  sailor.  "  Are  you  going  back 
to  Liao-Yang?" 


194  AT    THE    FALL   OF   PORT   ARTHUR 

"  We  don't  know  that  either.  Our  orders  are  to 
escort  the  powder  train  wherever  it  may  be  sent," 
said  Ben. 

For  two  days  the  Japanese  warship  remained  in 
the  harbor  of  the  seaport  village  and  during  that 
time  Larry  managed  to  see  quite  a  good  deal  of  Ben 
and  Gilbert.  He  wished  he  could  take  them  on 
board  of  the  cruiser,  but  this  was  not  permitted. 

On  the  third  day  the  Shohirika  received  orders 
from  a  dispatch  boat  which  steamed  into  the  harbor, 
and  an  hour  later  the  anchors  were  hove  apeak  and 
she  steamed  away,  carrying  Larry  and  his  old  Yan- 
kee friend  along.  Ben  and  Gilbert  stood  on  a  dock 
watching  her  departure.  They  waved  their  hand- 
kerchiefs at  Larry  and  he  waved  his  own  in  return. 

"  I  wonder  when  I'll  see  Larry  again,"  mused 
Ben.  He  felt  rather  sober  at  the  parting  from  his 
younger  brother. 

"  Oh,  you'll  see  him  again  before  long,"  answered 
Gilbert,  trying  to  be  cheerful. 

"  Maybe  not.  It  all  depends  upon  where  that 
cruiser  sails  to.  She  may  go  half  around  the 
world." 

"  More  than  likely  she  has  been  sent  to  take  part 
in  the  bombardment  of  Port  Arthur." 

"  Do  you  really  think  we'll  be  sent  to  Port 
Arthur,  Gilbert?" 


A   MEETING   AND   A   PLOT  195 

"  It  is  not  unlikely,  Ben." 

The  pair  watched  the  cruiser  fade  away  in  the 
distance,  and  then  returned  to  that  part  of  the 
village  in  which  Major  Okopa's  command  had  been 
located. 

"  By  the  way,"  said  Gilbert,  as  they  hurried  along. 
"  There  is  one  thing  I  forgot  to  tell  you.  Meeting 
Larry  drove  it  completely  out  of  my  mind.  On  the 
way  to  this  village  we  stopped  at  a  place  called 
Wikelipe,  and  there  I  met,  whom  do  you  suppose?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  I'm  sure." 

"  That  rascal  Ivan  Snokoff.  He  was  at  his  same 
old  tricks — selling  things  to  the  inhabitants  at  ex- 
orbitant prices.  When  he  saw  me  he  shook  his  fist 
at  me  and  my  men  and  then  ran  away  and  hid." 

"  Why  didn't  you  root  him  out,  Gilbert?  " 

"  What  good  would  it  have  done  ?  Besides,  I 
didn't  have  time.  The  fight  with  the  brigands  made 
us  lose  three  hours.  But  do  you  know,  I  think 
Snokoff  has  it  in  for  me." 

"  Yes,  and  in  for  me,  too,"  added  Ben.  "  He 
hasn't  forgotten  how  I  brought  along  the  guard  that 
placed  him  under  temporary  arrest." 

There  was  no  time  to  say  more,  for  the  command 
was  to  move  in  half  an  hour  and  both  of  the  young 
captains  had  to  round  up  their  men  for  that  purpose. 
The  powder  train  was  at  rest  outside  of  the  village 


196  AT   THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

and  the  men  were  scattered  here,  there,  and  every- 
where. 

Evening  found  the  command  to  which  Ben  and 
Gilbert  belonged  ten  miles  on  their  way  through  the 
mountains.  Only  the  officer  in  charge  of  the  pow- 
der train  knew  the  destination  of  the  precious  stores. 
The  train  consisted  of  eighteen  carts,  each  pulled  by 
four  horses. 

Although  none  in  Major  Okopa's  command  knew 
it,  the  train  was  followed  by  a  Chinaman  named  Kee 
Lung,  who  lived  in  Wikelipe,  the  place  where  Gilbert 
had  seen  Ivan  Snokoff.  Kee  Lung  was  well  known 
to  Ivan  Snokoff  and  had  been  asked  by  the  rascally 
Russian  to  keep  his  eyes  on  Gilbert  and  on  Ben  and 
to  report  their  movements.  He  had  watched  Gil- 
bert's meeting  with  Ben  and  Larry  and  heard  some- 
thing of  what  was  said  and  had  thus  managed  to 
make  out  that  two  of  the  party  were  brothers. 

As  the  powder  train  approached  Wikelipe,  Kee 
Lung  went  ahead  to  find  Ivan  Snokoff.  This  was 
not  difficult,  as  he  knew  exactly  where  the  latter  was 
hiding.  A  conference  lasting  an  hour  ensued. 

"  Do  as  you  have  promised  and  you  shall  have 
fifty  yen,"  said  Ivan  Snokoff. 

"  You  will  not  fail  to  pay  ?  "  queried  Kee  Lung. 

"  By  the  heads  of  my  ancestors  I  promise  it,"  was 
the  rascally  Russian's  answer. 


A    MEETING    AND    A    PLOT 

"  'Tis  enough.  I  shall  do  as  I  have  promised," 
returned  the  Chinaman.  And  he  bowed  himself 
from  Ivan  SnokofFs  presence.  Left  to  himself,  the 
rascally  Russian  rubbed  his  hands  gleefully. 

"  Ha,  I  trust  he  is  successful ! "  he  muttered  to 
himself.  "  Once  Pennington  and  Russell  are  in  the 
power  of  us  Russians  I  shall  show  them  what  it 
means  to  insult  and  degrade  a  Snokoff !  " 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

THE  ATTACK  IN  THE  DARK 

Two  days  later  Gilbert  and  Ben  were  seated  in 
their  tent  talking  about  the  meeting  with  Larry 
when  one  of  the  guards  came  in  and  saluted. 

"  A  messenger  to  see  Captain  Russell  and  Captain 
Pennington,"  said  the  guard. 

"  Show  him  in,"  returned  Ben,  briefly,  thinking 
it  was  a  simple  message  about  camp  duties.  He  was 
rather  surprised  when  a  Chinaman  entered,  bowing 
low  as  he  did  so. 

"  Dis  Clabtain  Lussell  ?  "  asked  the  newcomer. 

"  That  is  my  name." 

"  Dis  Clabtain  Plennington  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  Gilbert. 

"  Sailor  man  send  Chung  Wow,"  went  on  the 
Chinaman.  "  Sailor  man  want  see  bloth."  He 
pointed  to  the  two  young  captains.  "  Sailor  man 
say  he  blother  you."  And  now  he  pointed  at  Ben 
alone. 

"  Said  he  was  my  brother  ?  "  cried  the  young  cap- 
tain. 

198 


THE    ATTACK    IN    THE   DARK 

The  messenger  nodded.  "  Name  allee  same 
Larry  Lussell." 

"  Gracious  me !  "  ejaculated  Ben.  "  Gilbert,  what 
can  this  mean?  I  thought  Larry  sailed  away  on 
that  warship." 

"  So  did  I.     But  she  may  be  back  in  port." 

"  Sailor  man  hurt."  The  Chinaman  pointed  to 
his  side.  "  Sick — he  shot — say  you  dome  to- 
night." 

"  Sick  ?  shot  ?  "  repeated  Ben,  and  a  cold  chill 
went  down  his  backbone.  "  That  is  the  worst  yet. 
Where  is  he?" 

"  Big  walk  down  by  the  sea.  Chung  Wow  show. 
But  must  pay — Chung  Wow  poor  people." 

"  Oh,  I'll  pay  you,"  answered  Ben,  hurriedly. 
"  Gilbert,  do  you  think  I  can  get  away  ?  " 

"  Sailor  man  say  bloth  dome,"  put  in  the  mes- 
senger. 

"  Something  is  wrong,  that  is  certain,"  came  from 
Gilbert.  He  eyed  the  Chinaman  closely.  "  There 
is  no  mistake  about  this  ?  " 

At  this  Chung  Wow  shrugged  his  lean  shoulders 
and  looked  blank. 

"  No  see  mistakee.     See  sailor  mans." 

"  I  guess  he  is  all  right,"  put  in  Ben.  "  Some- 
thing has  happened  to  poor  Larry.  I  wonder  if  I 
can  get  away  at  once  ?  " 


2OO  AT    THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  Let  us  see  the  major  about  this." 

Ben  hurried  off  and  caught  Major  Okopa  in  his 
own  tent.  As  the  command  was  not  to  move  until 
noon  of  the  next  day  both  readily  obtained  permis- 
sion to  absent  themselves  until  that  time. 

"  But  be  careful,"  said  the  major.  "  This  may  be 
some  Chinese  trick." 

"  We'll  be  on  our  guard/'  answered  Ben. 

The  Chinese  messenger  had  come  in  on  foot.  He 
said  he  was  hungry  and  was  given  something  to  eat. 
Then  the  three  set  off,  the  messenger  carrying  a 
knapsack  filled  with  rations,  and  each  of  the  young 
captains  carrying  his  sword  and  his  pistol.  They 
tried  to  learn  from  Chung  Wow  how  far  they  would 
have  to  travel,  but  the  Chinaman  either  could  not  or 
would  not  inform  them. 

"  Perhaps  it  might  have  been  as  well  to  have  taken 
a  detachment  of  one  company  along,"  suggested  Gil- 
bert. "  I  must  say,  I  don't  like  the  looks  of  this." 
They  were  now  a  good  mile  away  from  camp,  and  in 
a  location  that  appeared  lonely  enough. 

"  Well,  we  are  moving  down  to  the  seacoast," 
returned  Ben.  He  was  taking  careful  note  of  the 
direction  they  were  pursuing. 

After  that  they  journeyed  along  for  a  good  two 
hours  without  saying  much.  They  stepped  along 
briskly,  for  Ben  wanted  to  learn  just  what  had  hap- 


THE    ATTACK   IN    THE   DARK  2OI 

pened  to  his  brother.  For  all  he  knew  to  the  con- 
trary, Larry  might  be  mortally  wounded. 

Presently  they  came  to  a  spot  in  the  road  where 
there  were  a  number  of  dense  trees.  Chung  Wow 
began  to  cough  loudly. 

"What's  the  matter?"  demanded  Gilbert.  For 
some  reason  he  did  not  trust  the  Chinaman. 

"  Slomthing  fly  in  float,"  was  the  answer,  and 
Chung  Wow  coughed  again.  Then  he  walked 
on,  and  they  came  behind  him.  But  Gilbert 
drew  his  pistol  and  motioned  for  Ben  to  do  the 
same. 

"  I  may  be  mistaken,  but  we  may  be  walking  into 
a  trap,"  he  whispered. 

"Why,  Gilbert,  I  don't "  began  Ben,  when 

without  warning  a  heavy  object  dropped  upon  his 
head  from  the  limb  of  one  of  the  trees  and  bore  him 
to  the  ground.  Another  object  dropped  on  Gilbert, 
but  he  squirmed  from  under, — to  find  himself  con- 
fronted by  several  Chunchuses.  A  cry  went  up, 
and  a  crashing  was  heard  in  the  bushes  back  of  the 
trees. 

"  A  trick,  Ben,  just  as  I  suspected !  "  ejaculated 
the  young  Southerner,  and  he  discharged  his  pistol 
point-blank  at  the  Chinese  bandit  in  front  of  him. 
This  done  he  made  a  leap  to  one  side,  hurling  over 
Chung  Wow  as  he  did  so,  and  darted  forward  into 


2O2  AT    THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

some  bushes.  A  shot  was  aimed  at  him,  but  did  no 
injury,  and  he  kept  on,  running  as  hard  as  he 
could. 

In  the  meantime  Ben  did  his  best  to  get  up.  But 
one  man  was  on  his  shoulders  and  another  had  him 
by  the  legs,  so  to  move  was  next  to  impossible. 
Then,  as  he  continued  to  struggle,  he  received  a 
heavy  kick  from  a  wooden  shoe  which  stretched  him 
out  like  a  log. 

"  He  is  out  of  the  fight  now,"  said  one  of  the 
Chunchuses,  as  he  bent  over  Ben.  "  Go  after  the 
other.  Do  not  let  him  escape  if  you  can  help  it. 
Americans  are  worth  a  good  deal  to  us  in  these 
days!" 

Three  of  the  brigands  remained  to  guard  Ben  and 
the  others  made  after  Gilbert.  But  they  could  not 
catch  the  young  Southerner,  and  after  a  long  chase 
they  came  back. 

"  He  has  gone  back  to  his  camp,"  said  one  of  the 
Chunchuses  to  his  chief.  "  He  will  have  his  friends 
about  our  ears  very  shortly." 

As  soon  as  this  news  was  received,  Ben's  hands 
and  feet  were  bound,  and  four  of  the  Chinamen 
caught  him  up  as  if  he  were  a  dead  animal  and 
hoisted  him  on  their  shoulders.  Off  they  set  at  a 
dog-trot,  with  the  remaining  brigands  around  them. 

It  was  the  jogging  over  the  rough  mountainous 


THE   ATTACK   IN   THE  DARK  2O3 

road  which  finally  brought  the  young  captain  to  his 
senses.  At  first  he  did  not  realize  that  he  was  on 
the  move. 

"  Gilbert !  "  he  called  faintly.     "  Gilbert !  " 

Nobody  answered  him,  and  now  he  essayed  to  sit 
up.  He  could  not  budge  and  consequently  began  to 
struggle. 

"  Be  still ! "  cried  one  of  the  Chunchuses,  in 
Chinese. 

"  Where  am  I  ?  What  are  you  doing  to  me  ?  " 
queried  Ben. 

For  answer  he  received  a  good  shaking  and  was 
then  dumped  on  the  ground.  His  feet  were  lib- 
erated, and  the  chief  of  the  Chinese  brigands  ordered 
him  to  move  along,  pointing  the  end  of  his  sword  at 
the  prisoner  as  he  did  so. 

"  Where  is  my  friend?  "  asked  Ben. 

"  He  is  dead,"  said  the  chief,  laconically. 

"  Dead ! "  burst  out  the  young  captain.  His 
heart  seemed  to  become  like  a  lump  of  lead.  Gil- 
bert, his  own  true  chum,  dead !  It  was  too  horrible 
to  believe. 

"  Yes,  and  you  will  be  unless  you  walk  on,"  added 
the  chief  of  the  Chunchuses. 

There  was  no  help  for  it,  and,  bruised  and  bleed- 
ing, the  young  captain  took  up  the  march,  with  his 
enemies  on  all  sides  of  him.  The  gait  was  a  rapid 


204  AT    THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

one,  and  before  they  came  to  a  halt  once  more  he 
was  all  but  exhausted. 

"  Where  are  you  taking  me?  "  he  asked. 

"  Wait  and  see."  The  chief  of  the  Chunchuses 
grinned  wickedly.  "  I  shall  have  to  trouble  you  for 
your  valuables,"  he  went  on,  in  his  native  tongue, 
and  without  further  ado  stripped  Ben  of  his  posses- 
sions, including  his  watch,  money,  ring,  and  sword. 

There  was  no  use  protesting,  and  therefore  the 
young  captain  did  not  attempt  it.  He  was  marched 
along  a  marshy  path,  and  presently  came  in  sight  of 
the  ocean  and  a  small  bay,  where  two  sailing  ships 
and  a  small  steamer  lay  at  anchor. 

A  shrill  whistle  sounded  out,  and  this  was 
answered  by  somebody  on  the  steamer.  Then  a 
small  boat  put  in  to  shore,  carrying  four  sailors  and 
an  officer.  As  soon  as  the  officer  landed,  he  was 
called  aside  by  the  chief  of  the  Chunchuses,  and  a 
conference  lasting  several  minutes  followed. 

"  It  shall  be  as  you  say,  Ching  Fee,"  said  the  offi- 
cer, in  Russian.  "  It  is  too  bad  you  did  not  get  the 
other,  too.  I  know  Ivan  Snokoff,  and  Captain 
Barusky  too,  and  there  will  be  money  in  this.  Yes, 
I'll  take  him  on  board  at  once.  You  had  better 
watch  out  that  the  soldiers  do  not  get  after  you." 

"  Trust  Ching  Fee  to  take  care  of  himself,"  said 
the  chief  of  the  Chunchuses. 


THE    ATTACK   IN    THE   DARK 

With  scant  ceremony  Ben  was  conducted  to  the 
small  boat  and  told  to  get  in.  He  asked  where  they 
were  going  to  take  him,  but  could  get  no  satisfaction. 
As  soon  as  the  steamer  was  reached,  he  was  con- 
ducted to  an  empty  stateroom  and  locked  in. 

"  This  is  the  worst  yet ! "  he  muttered,  as  he  sat 
down.  "  I  suppose  they  intend  to  carry  me  miles 
and  miles  away.  Poor  Gilbert !  I  never  thought  he 
would  be  killed  in  such  a  fashion  as  this!  What 
cutthroats  these  Chinese  brigands  are !  It's  a  won- 
der they  didn't  kill  me  too!  Can  that  story  about 
Larry  be  true?  " 

There  was  a  little  water  in  the  stateroom,  and  as 
his  hands  had  been  released,  Ben  bathed  his  wounds 
and  bound  them  up  as  best  he  could.  He  heard  the 
steamer  move  away  from  the  shore,  and  soon  the 
steady  pounding  of  the  engines  proved  that  she  was 
forging  ahead  at  her  best  rate  of  speed. 

He  was  a  prisoner  of  the  enemy,  and  what  they 
were  going  to  do  with  him  was  a  question  still  to  be 
answered. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

THE  DEFENSE  OF  THE  POWDER  TRAIN 

AFTER  firing  on  the  Chinese  brigands  as  already 
described,  Gilbert  plunged  into  the  brushwood  which 
was  not  over  half  a  dozen  yards  distant.  He  heard 
the  shots  discharged  at  him  in  return,  but  fortunately 
every  one  went  wide  of  its  mark. 

Once  in  the  brushwood  he  did  not  stop,  but  con- 
tinued on  his  way  for  several  rods.  Then  he 
paused,  wondering  if  Ben  was  anywhere  in  the  vi- 
cinity. 

"  I  hope  they  didn't  kill  him,"  he  murmured. 
"  What  a  trap  that  was,  and  how  easily  we  walked 
into  it ! " 

He  waited  and  listened,  but  nobody  came  near 
him.  Then,  with  caution,  he  pushed  ahead,  until 
he  gained  once  more  the  road  leading  back  to  the 
temporary  camp  occupied  by  the  powder  train  and 
the  detachment  guarding  it.  Following  this,  he  ran 
on  at  full  speed  until  the  welcome  camp-fires  greeted 
him. 

"  Major  Okopa,  we  have  been  attacked  by  Chun- 
206 


THE    DEFENSE    OF    THE    POWDER    TRAIN       2O/ 

chuses !  "  he  exclaimed,  as  he  rushed  up  to  the  offi- 
cer's quarters.  And  in  a  brief  manner  he  explained 
the  situation  so  far  as  he  knew  it. 

The  Japanese  major  had  taken  a  strong  liking  to 
Gilbert  and  Ben,  and  he  lost  no  time  in  ordering  out 
a  company  to  round  up  the  Chinese  brigands  if  they 
could  be  located.  It  was  Gilbert's  own  command 
and  he  was  given  permission  to  remain  out  the  whole 
night  and  the  next  day  if  necessary. 

The  young  Southerner  went  at  the  task  with 
vigor,  for  he  realized  that  every  moment  was 
precious.  He  explained  the  situation  to  his  men, 
and  they  set  off  at  double-quick  to  where  the  attack 
had  been  made. 

As  was  to  be  expected,  the  spot  was  deserted.  By 
torchlight  they  saw  the  evidences  of  the  struggle 
which  had  taken  place.  In  one  spot  was  a  pool  of 
blood,  left  by  the  brigand  whom  Gilbert  had  shot  in 
the  shoulder. 

"  They  went  off  in  this  direction,"  said  one  of  the 
soldiers,  who  was  good  at  tracing  footsteps.  He 
pointed  to  a  side  road,  and  along  this  they  ran,  keep- 
ing eyes  and  ears  on  the  alert,  so  as  to  avoid  any- 
thing in  the  nature  of  a  surprise. 

Two  hours  later  the  company  found  itself  on  the 
seashore.  But  Chunchuses  and  vessels  were  gone 
and  to  where  it  was  impossible  to  find  out.  But  on 


2O8  AT    THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

the  beach  Gilbert  picked  up  an  empty  pocketbook 
which  he  knew  was  Ben's  property. 

"  They  brought  him  here  most  likely,"  he  said. 
"  See,  here  are  the  marks  of  a  rowboat,  and  of  many 
feet.  They  have  gone  off  on  the  water." 

"  Then  the  hunt  is  at  a  standstill,"  returned  his 
second  in  command. 

The  young  captain  was  unwilling  to  believe  this, 
and  the  remainder  of  the  night,  and  the  next  fore- 
noon, were  spent  in  an  eager  search  after  the 
enemy.  But  it  was  useless;  and  at  last  Gilbert, 
sick  at  heart,  ordered  his  men  to  return  to  the 
camp. 

On  the  following  day  the  powder  train  moved 
onward  once  more.  The  first  lieutenant  of  Ben's 
company  took  command  of  the  body,  and  Ben  was 
marked  "  missing  "  on  the  roll. 

"  It  is  certainly  too  bad,  and  I  sympathize  with 
you,  Captain  Pennington,"  said  Major  Okopa. 
"  Captain  Russell  is  a  fine  fellow." 

"  It  takes  all  the  vigor  out  of  me,"  replied  Gilbert. 
"  Ben  and  I  were  like  two  brothers." 

But  Gilbert  was  given  no  time  in  which  to  grieve 
over  Ben's  disappearance.  Two  days  later,  the 
powder  train  was  attacked  by  a  detachment  of  the 
Russians,  who  seemed  to  spring  out  of  the  very 
ground.  One  of  the  wagons  loaded  with  powder 


THE    DEFENSE    OF    THE    POWDER    TRAIN       2O9 

was  blown  to  atoms,  killing  two  horses  and  three 
soldiers. 

"  Banzai! "  cried  the  Japanese,  and  when  the 
order  was  given  they  attacked  the  enemy  with 
vigor.  It  was  a  hot  fight,  lasting  half  an  hour,  and 
the  Russians  were  driven  among  some  high  hills, 
backed  up  by  several  mountains. 

As  the  powder  train  had  to  go  through  one  of  the 
mountain  passes  so  close  at  hand,  the  soldiers  were 
sent  ahead,  to  clear  the  way  of  all  Russians  that 
might  appear.  This  was  dangerous  work,  for  the 
enemy  had  the  advantage  of  the  higher  position. 
But  the  Japanese  were  undaunted,  and  rushed  up  one 
slope  after  another  with  a  vigor  and  animation  that 
was  surprising. 

"  Can't  hold  them  back,  when  once  they  get 
started,"  said  Gilbert,  to  the  major.  "  They  are 
like  our  Southern  bloodhounds,  when  once  they 
strike  the  scent." 

"  And  that  is  the  way  to  win  victory,"  answered 
Major  Okopa. 

Not  long  after  this  Gilbert  found  himself  at  the 
foot  of  a  steep  hill  with  his  company.  At  the  top 
of  the  hill  were  a  number  of  great  bowlders  and 
behind  these  some  of  the  Russians  were  in  hiding, 
sending  down  a  spiteful  fire  whenever  the  opportu- 
nity presented  itself. 


21O  AT    THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  We  must  dislodge  those  fellows,"  said  Major 
Okopa.  "It  is  very  dangerous  work.  Do  you 
think  you  can  accomplish  it,  Captain  Penning- 
ton?" 

"  I  can  try,"  answered  Gilbert,  modestly,  and 
ordered  his  company  forward.  He  turned  them 
slightly  to  the  left,  for  here  a  fringe  of  thin  brush- 
wood offered  a  shelter  that  was  not  great,  but  much 
better  than  none. 

"  Major  Okopa  expects  us  to  take  this  hill,"  he 
said,  in  the  best  Japanese  he  could  muster.  "  Let 
us  do  our  best !  " 

"Banzai!"  came  the  rallying  cry  from  the  men, 
and  up  the  slope  they  rushed,  with  Gilbert  at  their 
side.  Crack !  crack !  went  the  rifles  of  the  Russians, 
and  then,  without  warning,  several  shells  were  sent 
up.  One  man  of  Gilbert's  company  was  killed  and 
two  wounded,  but  they  did  not  waver.  Passing  the 
brushwood,  they  ran  out  boldly  on  the  slope  above 
them. 

Many  of  the  rocks  at  the  top  of  the  hill  were  loose, 
and  as  the  Japanese  came  closer,  the  enemy  began  to 
send  them  down  in  a  shower  which  was  highly 
dangerous  to  those  below. 

"  Beware  of  the  stones !  "  cried  Gilbert. 

He  had  hardly  spoken  when  he  saw  that  he  would 
have  to  look  after  his  own  safety.  The  Russians 


THE    DEFENSE    OF    THE    POWDER    TRAIN       211 

were  working  over  a  rock  that  weighed  several 
hundreds  of  pounds. 

All  at  once  the  mass  broke  loose.  There  was  a 
yell  of  delight  from  above,  and  then  the  big  bowlder 
came  rolling  straight  for  Gilbert.  Had  it  touched 
him  he  must  surely  have  been  crushed  to  death. 

But  the  young  Southerner  was  as  cool  as  he  was 
quick.  Pausing  to  make  certain  which  way  the 
big  stone  was  coming  down,  he  made  a  quick  leap 
in  the  opposite  direction.  Then  the  bowlder  went 
bounding  past  him,  to  crash  into  some  small  trees 
at  the  bottom  of  the  hill. 

"  Are  you  hurt,  captain  ? "  asked  his  lieuten- 
ant. 

"  No,"  answered  Gilbert.  Then  he  leaped  to  the 
front  once  more.  "  Come !  "  he  cried.  "  Banzai! 
Forward  for  the  Mikado!"  And  on  the  whole 
company  went  as  before,  firing  rapidly  as  they  did 
so.  The  Russians  clung  to  the  hilltop  a  few  min- 
utes longer,  and  then,  as  the  first  of  the  Japanese 
gained  a  footing  there,  they  broke  and  fled  in  wild 
disorder  down  the  other  side  of  the  hill,  and  into  the 
woods  to  the  northward.  The  Japanese  pursued 
them  for  two  hours  but  could  not  catch  them,  and 
at  last  the  chase  was  abandoned.  In  this  skirmish, 
called  the  battle  of  Po-yang-ling,  the  Japanese  lost 
in  killed  and  wounded  four  men,  and  the  Russians 


212  AT   THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

seven.  Three  of  the  Czar's  soldiers  were  also  taken 
prisoners. 

After  that  the  powder  train  had  no  more  difficulty, 
and  four  days  later  reached  its  destination,  which 
was  the  village  of  Fanshen,  where  the  Japanese  had 
established  something-  of  a  base  of  supplies  for  that 
portion  of  the  army  which  was  moving  southward 
to  join  in  the  siege  of  Port  Arthur.  At  Fanshen, 
Major  Okopa's  command  received  orders  to  go  into 
camp  instead  of  returning  to  the  vicinity  of  Liao- 
Yang. 

"  This  looks  to  me  as  if  we  were  to  be  trans- 
ferred to  the  army  in  the  south,"  said  the  major, 
after  communicating  the  news  to  Gilbert. 

"  Well,  I  shouldn't  mind  helping  to  take  Port 
Arthur,"  returned  the  young  Southerner.  "  If  you 
will  remember,  it  was  my  treatment  by  the  Rus- 
sians at  that  place  which  caused  me  to  take  up  arms 
against  them." 

"  So  you  said  before,  Captain  Pennington.  But 
do  not  imagine  that  the  taking  of  Port  Arthur  will 
be  easy.  The  Russians  have  fortified  it  in  every 
possible  manner." 

"  Yes, — they  were  doing  that  before  I  came  away 
from  there." 

"  For  months  they  have  been  strengthening  their 
fortifications,  and  getting  in  ammunition  and  supplies 


THE    DEFENSE    OF    THE    POWDER    TRAIN       213 

in  secret.  Their  chain  of  forts  extend,  so  I  have 
been  told,  for  twenty  miles  and  more  outside  of  the 
city,  and  being  in  a  mountainous  country,  they  will 
be  hard  to  reduce." 

"  Don't  you  think  we  can  capture  the  place?  "  de- 
manded Gilbert. 

"  Capture  it  ?  Most  assuredly,  captain.  But  it 
will  mean  a  great  destruction  of  life,"  returned 
Major  Okopa,  gravely. 

What  the  major  said  about  the  Russians  fortify- 
ing Port  Arthur  was  true.  Lieutenant-General 
Stoessel,  the  Russian  commander  at  that  place,  had 
under  him  sixty  thousand  men,  the  very  flower  of 
the  Russian  army.  On  the  side  of  the  sea  the  town 
was  fortified  at  a  dozen  points,  only  three  of  which 
had  been  thus  far  captured  under  the  Japanese  army 
led  by  General  Nogi.  To  the  northward  and  the 
westward  were  some  twenty  defenses,  set  among 
the  mountains  where  they  were  next  to  impossible  to 
reach. 

In  a  work  of  this  kind,  it  is  impossible  to  relate 
in  detail  all  of  the  many  battles  fought  over  the 
possession  of  Port  Arthur.  The  first  assault  was 
made  in  February  by  Admiral  Togo's  fleet,  and  the 
naval  conflict  was  kept  up  for  almost  three  months 
after  that.  In  the  meantime  a  Japanese  army  under 
General  Oku  landed  at  Pitsewo,  and  after  several 


214  AT    THE    FALL    OF    PORT    ARTHUR 

battles  at  Kinchow  and  Nanshan  Hill,  drove  the 
Russians  back  to  their  mountain  defenses  and  took 
possession  of  the  railroad  running  to  Liao-Yang 
and  Mukden.  Thus  Port  Arthur  was  cut  off  fron? 
almost  all  communication  with  the  outside 


CHAPTER  XXV 

BOMBARDING   A   PORT   ARTHUR   FORT 

LARRY  felt  very  happy  after  having  met  Ben  and 
Gilbert.  He  had  been  afraid  he  should  find  that  his 
brother  or  his  friend  was  wounded,  even  though  no 
mention  of  such  an  occurrence  had  been  made  in  the 
letter  he  had  received.  He  knew  from  experience 
that  Ben  was  in  the  habit  of  making  light  of  things 
that  went  wrong. 

"  I  suppose  it  did  your  heart  good  to  meet  'em 
both,"  said  Luke,  after  the  warship  was  on  the  way. 

"  You're  right,  Luke ;  it  was  a  regular  touch  of 
old  times." 

"  Wish  I  had  seen  'em  myself." 

"  Both  wanted  to  be  remembered  to  you."  Larry 
paused  for  a  moment.  "  By  the  way,  I  wonder 
where  we  are  bound  now  ?  " 

"  Can't  say  as  to  that,  lad — secret  orders,  I 
reckon,"  answered  the  old  tar. 

The  order  to  sail  was  evidently  an  important  one, 
for  scarcely  was  the  Shohirika  out  of  sight  of  land 
than  all  steam  was  crowded  on.  The  lookouts  were 


2l6  AT   THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

also  doubled,  and  when  night  came  the  strictest 
watch  possible  was  maintained. 

Yet,  with  it  all,  several  days  passed  without  any- 
thing out  of  the  ordinary  happening.  Drills  and 
exercises  went  on  as  before,  and  both  Larry  and 
Luke  made  themselves  familiar  with  all  parts  of  the 
warship.  Both  spent  much  time  in  familiarizing 
themselves  with  such  orders  as  were  given  to  them 
in  Japanese,  so  that  they  might  not  be  too  "  green," 
as  Larry  termed  it,  if  put  to  the  test. 

During  those  days  spent  on  shipboard  matters 
concerning  the  great  war  were  moving  forward 
steadily.  In  the  vicinity  of  Liao-Yang  both  the 
Japanese  and  the  Russians  made  several  movements 
to  better  their  positions.  This  brought  on  a  few 
skirmishes  and  one  heavy  battle,  in  which  the  losses 
were  several  hundreds  on  each  side.  There  was  also 
an  advance  on  the  outer  forts  of  Port  Arthur,  and 
a  fair-sized  hill  was  captured  by  the  Mikado's  men, 
who,  however  held  the  place  only  at  an  enormous 
loss  of  life.  In  moving  on  the  port  the  Japanese 
found  they  would  have  to  do  a  great  amount  of  tun- 
neling and  entrenching,  all  of  which  consumed  time. 

On  the  ocean  the  two  nations  were  equally  active. 
Both  took  several  prizes  of  war,  and  in  an  encounter 
with  the  Vladivostok  squadron  a  Russian  warship 
was  hopelessly  disabled  and  a  Japanese  cruiser  was 


BOMBARDING   A    PORT   ARTHUR   FORT 

all  but  sunk.  Another  ship  belonging  to  Admiral 
Togo's  fleet  struck  a  mine  outside  of  Port  Arthur 
and  had  to  be  sent  back  to  Japan  for  repairs. 

So  far  the  weather  had  been  warm,  but  autumn 
was  now  at  hand  and  before  long  the  nights  became 
cold  and  raw. 

"  This  war  won't  be  finished  this  winter,"  said 
more  than  one.  "  We  are  in  for  another  year  of  it, 
sure." 

The  Shohirika  had  been  summoned  to  join  the 
fleet  patrolling  before  Port  Arthur.  Two  days  be- 
fore that  station  was  reached  they  fell  in  with  a 
sister  ship  which  brought  the  news  of  an  encounter 
with  a  Russian  battleship  carrying  some  troops  from 
Siberia.  Both  warships  had  suffered  and  become 
separated  in  the  darkness. 

"  This  war  is  certainly  warming  up,"  said 
Larry.  "  I  hope  we  see  some  fighting  before  it 
is  over." 

"  Maybe  we'll  see  more  of  it  than  you  wish,"  said 
Luke,  grimly. 

"  Don't  you  worry — we'll  see  a  whole  lot,"  put  in 
Steve  Colton,  who  was  sitting  on  a  ditty  chest,  play- 
ing checkers  with  Bob  Stanford.  "  Just  wait  till  we 
get  under  Admiral  Togo's  eye — he'll  make  us  be  up 
and  doing." 

The  chance  to  see  some  of  the  war  came  the  next 


218  AT   THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

day,  when  they  were  ordered  to  bombard  one  of  the 
forts  to  the  north  of  Port  Arthur  proper.  As  soon 
as  they  came  within  four  miles  of  the  fort  they  re- 
ceived a  reception  which  was  as  warm  as  it  was  ex- 
citing. 

"  Now,  here  is  where  we  show  what  we  can  do ! '' 
cried  Luke,  as  the  orders  came  to  begin  firing,  and 
the  whole  gun  company  jumped  in  to  assist  him. 
The  magazines  were  opened  up,  the  windlasses  set 
to  work,  and  soon  the  first  real  shell — not  a  mere 
blank  for  practicing — came  up  and  was  run  into  the 
gun.  Then  the  breech-block  was  swung  to  and 
locked,  the  electric  connection  set,  and  Luke  sighted 
the  piece  with  care,  after  having  first  received  the 
proper  distance  from  the  range-finders  in  the  tops. 
As  soon  as  the  "  sight  "  was  "  covered  "  the  button 
was  pressed,  and  bang!  went  the  gun  with  a  con- 
cussion that  shook  the  whole  ship.  Other  guns 
followed  in  rapid  succession,  until  Larry  had  to  stuff 
cotton  in  his  ears  to  keep  himself  from  becoming 
deaf.  As  soon  as  the  gun  was  discharged,  it  was 
opened  to  let  the  gases  out  and  then  cleaned  with 
wet  swabs  and  flushed  with  running  water  to  cool  the 
barrel. 

The  bombardment  lasted  for  an  hour,  and  during 
that  time  the  fort  was  hit  in  a  dozen  places.  Sand, 
dirt,  and  rocks  flew  in  all  directions,  and  once  there 


BOMBARDING  A    PORT   ARTHUR    FORT  2 19 

came  a  flash  which  told  of  an  explosion  of  a  quan- 
tity of  powder. 

"  If  we  could  only  hit  the  magazine  it  would  be 
good-by  to  that  fort,"  said  Larry,  but  this  was  not 
to  be. 

After  the  first  few  shots  the  fort  had  remained 
silent,  but  now,  when  the  Shohirika  was  about  to 
retire,  the  gunners  opened  up  once  more,  and  a  rain 
of  shot  and  shell  flew  all  around  the  warship.  One 
struck  the  bow  of  the  vessel,  tearing  off  a  few  feet 
of  the  forward  deck  and  another  entered  the  for- 
ward turret,  killing  one  of  the  gunner's  assist- 
ants. 

"  We  can  be  thankful  we  weren't  in  that  turret," 
said  Luke,  when  he  received  the  latter  news. 

"  Yes,  indeed !  "  murmured  Larry,  and  could  not 
repress  a  shiver.  "  I  can  tell  you,  it's  mighty  risky 
work  after  all !  "  he  added,  soberly. 

"  Well,  we've  got  one  advantage  over  those  fel- 
lows," put  in  Colton,  after  the  firing  had  come  to  an 
end,  and  the  warship  was  fast  getting  out  of  range. 
"  We  can  run  away,  while  they  have  got  to  stay  right 
where  they  are." 

"  Oh,  they  can  run  away  too,"  said  Larry. 

"  Not  unless  they  abandon  their  fort, — and 
that  would  be  just  as  if  we  should  abandon  our 
ship." 


22O  AT    THE   FALL   OF   PORT   ARTHUR 

The  work  at  the  gun  had  been  severe,  and  after 
the  bombardment  was  over  Larry  was  glad  to  clean 
up  and  take  a  rest.  The  perspiration,  grime,  and 
smoke  had  made  him  look  like  a  negro,  and  he  used 
up  several  buckets  of  water  before  he  got  himself 
into  as  cleanly  a  condition  as  was  habitual  with  him. 
Luke  also  took  a  "  scrubbing  down,"  as  he  called  it, 
and  so  did  the  others. 

What  amazed  Larry  more  than  anything  was  the 
quietness  of  the  Japanese  sailors.  Now  that  the 
bombardment  was  ended  they  said  scarcely  a  word 
about  it,  but  went  on  exactly  as  before. 

"  They  are  the  most  matter-of-fact  chaps  I  ever 
saw !  "  he  declared.  "  I  believe  if  the  ship  blew  up 
they  would  say  '  Very  sorry  '  and  swim  away.  Now 
on  one  of  Uncle  Sam's  ships  the  men  would  be  all 
woke  up  and  out  for  a  jollification.  Ben  says  it's 
the  same  way  in  the  army.  If  they  get  excited 
at  all  they  always  seem  to  be  sorry  for  it  after- 
wards ! " 

"  That's  what  ye  call  a  characteristic  o'  the  race, 
I  reckon,"  returned  Luke.  "  They're  taught  to  act 
that  way  from  babyhood.  It  ain't  polite  nor  high- 
toned  to  git  excited*  The  only  thing  they  kin  yell  is 
Banzai!  an'  they  let  thet  out  loud  enough,  goodness 
knows ! " 

"  I  can't  understand  why  we  didn't  keep  at  that 


BOMBARDING   A    PORT   ARTHUR   FORT          221 

fort/'  came  from  Colton.  "  I  was  just  getting  the 
range  beautifully  when  orders  came  to  shut  down." 

"  Well,  there  must  be  a  reason  for  it,  Steve,"  an- 
swered Luke. 

There  was  a  reason  for  it.  Admiral  Togo  had 
just  received  word  that  certain  ships  of  the  Port 
Arthur  squadron  were  going  to  make  an  attempt  to 
break  out  of  the  harbor,  either  that  night  or  the  next 
day.  Consequently  the  Shohirika  was  needed  fur- 
ther down  the  coast,  and  steamed  away  in  that  direc- 
tion as  rapidly  as  her  somewhat  limited  supply  of 
coal  permitted. 

"  I  don't  think  the  navy  will  ever  find  its  way  into 
Port  Arthur  harbor,"  said  Larry,  later  on,  after 
studying  a  map  of  that  locality.  "  There  are  too 
many  forts  on  the  hills  outside  of  the  town.  They 
could  smash  our  ships  to  smithereens  if  we  got  too 
close." 

"  Trust  Admiral  Togo  to  know  what  he  is  doing," 
answered  Steve  Colton.  "He  won't  go  too  close. 
At  the  same  time  he  ain't  going  to  let  the  Russian 
ships  get  away  any  more  than  Schley  and  Sampson 
let  Admiral  Cervera  get  away  from  Santiago  Har- 
bor in  Cuba." 

"  It's  the  army  that  will  make  Port  Arthur  a  hoi- 
place  to  live  in,"  came  from  Bob  Stanford.  They 
can  entrench  and  thus  gain  a  little  ground  day  by 


222  AT   THE    FALL   OF   PORT    ARTHUR 

day,  and  as  soon  as  they  win  some  high  point,  like 
say  2O3-Meter  Hill,  it  will  be  all  up  with  General 
Stoessel,  mark  my  words." 

The  night  to  follow  proved  to  be  misty,  and  so 
cold  that  the  majority  of  the  sailors  were  glad  to 
don  their  heavy  pea  jackets.  Fearing  that  the  enemy 
would  try  to  take  advantage  of  the  weather,  Admiral 
Togo  turned  on  all  the  searchlights  his  fleet  pos- 
sessed, and  these  were  flashed  in  all  directions. 

"  False  alarm,"  said  Luke,  after  midnight  had 
sounded  out  on  the  ship's  bell.  "  Reckon  the  Rus- 
sians don't  dare  to  come  out." 

But  the  old  Yankee  tar  was  mistaken.  The  enemy 
were  on  the  alert,  and  at  three  o'clock,  when  the 
mist  was  extra  heavy,  the  movement  to  steal  out 
of  Port  Arthur  harbor  was  begun,  two  torpedo 
destroyers  taking  the  lead,  and  several  cruisers  fol- 
lowing. This  brought  on  a  heavy  sea-fight  lasting 
far  into  the  next  day,  and  one  which  came  close  to 
cost  Larry  his  life. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

BEN    MEETS    CAPTAIN    BARUSKY 

FOR  several  days  poor  Ben  remained  a  prisoner 
aboard  of  the  small  steamer.  During  that  time  only 
two  men  came  near  him — an  under  officer  and  the 
sailor  who  supplied  him  with  food  and  water. 
Neither  would  answer  his  questions,  so  he  could  not 
learn  where  he  was  being  taken  or  what  was  to  be 
done  with  him. 

One  evening  there  was  a  slight  commotion  on  the 
deck,  and  the  course  of  the  steamer  was  changed. 
Then  came  a  blowing  of  steam  whistles  lasting  sev- 
eral minutes.  Finally  the  steamer  came  to  a  stand- 
still. 

"You  are  to  leave  this  vessel  at  once,"  said  the 
under  officer,  as  he  opened  the  door  of  the  young 
captain's  temporary  prison.  "  Come,  we  have  no 
time  to  spare." 

"  Where  am  I  to  go  ?  "  questioned  Ben. 

"  You  will  soon  learn.     Hurry !  " 

There  was  no  help  for  it,  and  soon  Ben  was  on 
deck.  He  was  made  to  enter  a  small  boat  and  was 

323 


224  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

thus  transferred  to  another  steamer — one  which  had 
formerly  been  in  the  East  Indian  trade  but  which 
was  now  acting  as  a  Russian  supply  boat. 

"  What  a  dirty  craft !  "  was  his  mental  comment, 
after  having  been  thrust  into  a  pen  which  was  little 
better  than  a  horse  stall.  The  supply  boat  was 
loaded  to  its  fullest  capacity,  so  quarters  for  all  on 
board  were  limited. 

Two  days  passed  and  he  received  food  which  was 
scarcely  fit  to  eat.  When  he  protested  he  was  threat- 
ended  with  a  flogging.  The  air  was  foul  and  he 
began  to  fear  that  he  would  become  sick. 

"  I  won't  be  able  to  stand  this  much  longer,"  he 
thought,  dismally.  "  If  they  want  to  kill  me  why 
don't  they  do  it  at  once  and  have  done  with 
it?" 

On  the  following  morning  a  surprise  awaited  him. 
He  heard  two  Russian  officers  pause  in  front  of  his 
pen  and  one  said  to  the  other : 

"  Here  is  the  prisoner,  Captain  Barusky." 

"  Is  it  the  fellow  named  Russell  ?  "  was  the  ques- 
tion from  Captain  Barusky,  the  rascal  who  had  aided 
Ivan  Snokoff  to  make  so  much  trouble  for  Gilbert 
Pennington. 

"  The  same." 

"  They  did  not  capture  his  friend  ?  " 

"  No — in  the  struggle  he  slipped  away." 


BEN    MEETS   CAPTAIN    BARUSKY  225 

"  I  am  sorry  for  that.  We  wanted  Pennington 
more  than  we  did  this  fellow.  But  I  am  glad  we 
got  at  least  one  of  them.  As  I  understand  it  they 
work  hand-in-glove  with  each  other ; "  and  then  the 
two  Russian  officers  passed  on. 

Like  a  flash  Ben  realized  the  truth  of  the  situation. 
His  taking  off  had  been  a  trap  set  by  Snokoff  and 
this  Captain  Barusky,  who  had  hired  the  Chunchuses 
to  help  work  out  their  plot.  He  was  now  in  the 
hands  of  the  enemy  in  more  ways  than  one. 

"  They  won't  treat  me  as  an  ordinary  prisoner," 
he  reasoned.  "  This  Captain  Barusky  will  make  it 
as  hard  as  possible  for  me — more  especially  so  as 
Gilbert  managed  to  escape  his  clutches.  Well,  I  am 
glad  Gilbert  got  away." 

Resolved  to  "  take  the  bull  by  the  horns,"  Ben 
asked  the  prison  guard  if  he  might  speak  to  Captain 
Barusky. 

"  I  will  see  about  it,"  answered  the  sailor,  and 
went  off  to  find  out.  On  his  return  he  stated  that 
the  captain  would  visit  the  pen  some  time  during  the 
day. 

The  Russian  officer  came  late  in  the  afternoon, 
when  nobody  else  was  near  the  pen.  There  was  a 
sarcastic  look  on  his  face  when  he  gazed  at  the  young 
captain. 

"  So  you  want  to  talk  to  me,"  he  said,  abruptly. 


226  AT  THE   FALL   OF   PORT  ARTHUR 

"  I  do,  Captain  Barusky.  I  want  to  know  why 
this  plot  was  laid  against  me." 

"  I  know  of  no  plot.  You  are  an  American  in 
the  employ  of  the  Japanese  Government  as  a 
spy.  Russia  captures  all  the  Japanese  spies  she 
can." 

"  I  am  no  spy." 

The  Russian  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  That  is 
what  your  friend,  Captain  Pennington,  once  told  me, 
too.  Yet  as  soon  as  he  got  out  of  Port  Arthur  he 
was  made  a  captain  in  the  Mikado's  army." 

"  He  applied  for  the  position  because  the  Russians 
had  mistreated  him  and  because  he  loves  active  ser- 


vice. 

M 


Have  it  as  you  please,  Russell ;  both  of  you  are 
spies,  and  you  will  have  to  suffer  as  one." 

"  Where  are  you  taking  me  ?  " 

"  Since  you  seem  so  anxious  to  know,  I  will  tell 
you,  for  I  do  not  think  you  will  be  able  to  take  the 
news  to  the  Japanese.  This  boat  is  carrying  sup- 
plies to  Port  Arthur." 

"Port  Arthur!" 

"  That  is  what  I  said.  When  we  arrive  there 
you  will  be  placed  in  one  of  the  strongest  of  our 
prisons  at  the  port.  Do  you  not  admire  the  pros- 
pect?" 

"  Well,  if  you  take  me  to  Port  Arthur,  perhaps  I 


BEN    MEETS    CAPTAIN    BARUSKY 

shan't  be  a  prisoner  long,"  replied  Ben,  resolved  to 
put  on  as  bold  a  front  as  possible. 

"  And  why  not  ?  "  demanded  Captain  Barusky, 
curiously. 

"  Because  our  army  and  our  navy  are  bound  to 
capture  the  place." 

"  Bah !  The  Japanese  will  never  take  Port  Ar- 
thur. It  is  absurd  to  think  of  it." 

"  It  may  not  come  right  away — but  it  will  come 
sooner  or  later." 

"  Never !  But  if  it  should,  you  will  not  be  there 
to  enjoy  our  downfall.  Remember  that  spies  are 
tried,  and  if  found  guilty  they  are  taken  out  and 
shot." 

"  You  cannot  prove  that  I  am  a  spy." 

"  That  remains  to  be  seen." 

"  If  you  bring  me  before  the  court  I'll  have  some- 
thing to  say  about  your  underhanded  work  with 
Ivan  Snokoff.  I  can  prove  that  he  is  a  swindler 
and  that  you  are  his  accomplice." 

"  Ha !  you  threaten  me !  "  roared  Captain  Barusky, 
in  a  rage.  "  Have  a  care !  I  come  from  a  most 
respectable  family  and  I  have  great  influence." 

"  Nevertheless,  I  think  those  who  are  higher  in 
authority  than  yourself  will  listen  to  my  story.  The 
Russian  army  officers  are  as  a  rule  gentlemen  and 
strictly  honest." 


228  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  Which  means  to  say  that  I  am  not  a  gentleman 
and  not  honest ! "  bellowed  Captain  Barusky. 
"  That,  for  your  opinion !  "  And  reaching  out  he 
gave  Ben  a  ringing  box  on  the  ear. 

It  was  the  last  straw.  With  no  fresh  air  and  no 
food  fit  to  eat,  the  young  captain  was  desperate,  and 
leaping  forward  he  struck  at  the  Russian  captain's 
nose.  His  fist  went  true,  and  as  Barusky  staggered 
back  against  the  pen  door  the  blood  spurted  from  his 
nasal  organ. 

"  Don't  you  dare  to  hit  me  again !  "  panted  Ben, 
standing  before  the  Russian  with  both  hands 
clenched.  "  Don't  you  dare — or  you'll  get  the  worst 
of  it!" 

His  manner  made  Captain  Barusky  cower  back, 
and  he  glared  at  Ben  with  the  ferocity  of  a  wild 
beast.  Then  he  called  to  the  guard. 

"  Run  for  aid,  Petrovitch,"  he  said.  "  The  pris- 
oner has  attacked  me.  He  is  a  beast,  and  must  be 
chained  up." 

The  man  addressed  summoned  three  other  sailors 
and  the  captain  of  the  ship's  guard.  All  came  into 
the  pen  and  forced  Ben  into  a  corner. 

"  The  Yankee  dog ! "  said  the  captain  of  the 
guard.  "  To  dare  to  strike  a  Russian  officer ! 
Bring  the  chains  at  once !  " 

Chains  were  brought,  and  soon  Ben  was  bound 


BEN  MEETS  CAPTAIN  BARUSKY       229 

hands  and  feet,  with  links  that  weighed  several 
pounds.  Then  a  large  staple  was  driven  into  one  of 
the  uprights  of  the  pen  and  he  was  fastened  to  this 
with  a  padlock. 

"*'  Now  place  him  on  half-rations,"  said  Captain 
Barusky.  "  It  is  the  only  way  to  tame  him."  And 
then  he  hurried  away  to  bathe  his  nose,  which  was 
swelling  rapidly. 

If  Ben  had  been  miserable  before  he  was  doubly  so 
now.  The  chains  were  cumbersome  and  cut  into  his 
flesh,  and  being  fastened  to  the  upright  he  could 
scarcely  move  a  foot  either  way.  To  add  to  his 
misery  the  front  of  the  pen  was  boarded  over,  so 
that  what  little  light  had  been  admitted  to  his  prison 
was  cut  off. 

In  this  wretched  condition  he  passed  a  full  week. 
In  that  time  Captain  Barusky  came  to  peep  in  at  him 
three  times,  and  on  each  occasion  tried  to  say  some- 
thing to  make  him  still  more  dispirited.  The  food 
was  so  bad  he  could  not  eat  and  the  air  often  made 
his  head  ache  as  if  it  would  crack  open. 

"  If  this  is  a  sample  of  Russian  prison  life  it's  a 
wonder  all  the  prisoners  don't  go  mad,"  he  reasoned. 
"  A  few  months  of  this  would  surely  kill  me." 

At  the  end  of  the  week  Ben  heard  firing  at  a  dis- 
tance. The  supply  boat  was  now  trying  to  steal 
into  Port  Arthur  and  had  been  discovered  by  a 


23O  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

Japanese  patrol  boat.  The  craft  was  struck  twice 
and  the  prisoner  below  heard  a  wild  commotion  on 
the  deck,  as  one  of  the  funnels  was  carried  away. 
But  darkness  favored  the  Russians,  and  inside  of 
two  hours  the  supply  boat  passed  into  Port  Arthur 
harbor  without  sustaining  further  damage.  She 
was  then  directed  to  a  proper  anchorage  by  the  har- 
bor master;  and  on  the  following  day  the  transfer 
of  her  cargo  to  the  storehouses  on  shore  was 
begun. 

For  several  days  longer  Ben  was  kept  on  the  boat. 
Then,  one  wet  and  cold  morning,  he  was  liberated 
and  told  to  march  on  deck.  From  the  vessel  he  was 
taken  to  a  big  stone  building  which  was  being  used  as 
one  of  the  garrison  quarters.  Here  he  was  given  a 
scant  hearing  in  the  presence  of  Captain  Barusky, 
who  appeared  against  him. 

"  We  have  no  time  to  investigate  your  case  at 
present,  Captain  Russell,"  said  the  officer  who  con- 
ducted the  examination.  "  But  from  reports  I 
should  surmise  that  you  are  a  dangerous  young  man. 
You  must  remain  a  prisoner."  And  then  the  young 
captain  was  taken  away.  Later  on,  he  was  marched 
a  distance  of  half  a  mile  and  blindfolded.  When 
the  bandage  was  removed  from  his  eyes,  he  found 
himself  in  an  old  stone  building,  dirty  and  neglected. 
He  was  taken  to  a  small  room,  having  a  grated  win- 


BEN    MEETS    CAPTAIN    BARUSKY  23! 

dow,  and  thrust  inside.  Six  other  prisoners  were 
put  into  the  apartment  with  him,  one  man  with  a 
hacking  cough,  dreadful  to  hear.  The  door  was 
closed  and  barred ;  and  all  were  left  to  take  care  of 
themselves  as  best  they  could. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

A  FIERCE  BATTLE  AT  SEA 

LARRY  was  taking  a  nap  when  the  call  came  to 
clear  the  ship  for  action.  It  had  been  discovered 
that  the  Russian  fleet  was  trying  to  escape  from 
Port  Arthur  harbor,  and  the  news  was  flashed  from 
vessel  to  vessel  of  Admiral  Togo's  fleet,  and  all  were 
ordered  to  prevent  the  movement  at  any  cost. 

"Now  I  reckon  we  are  in  fer  it!"  ejaculated 
Luke,  as  he  and  the  youth  rushed  over  to  their  gun. 
"  Larry,  it's  in  my  mind  we  have  some  tall  work  cut 
out  fer  us  this  trip!  " 

"  Let  it  come — I  am  in  just  the  humor  for  fight- 
ing ! "  cried  Larry.  "  I  hope  we  can  smash  them 
just  as  we  smashed  the  Spanish  ships  in  Manila 
Bay." 

Sailors  and  gunners  were  hurrying  in  all  direc- 
tions, and  orders  were  coming  in  rapid  succession. 
At  first  the  Russian  ships  had  turned  in  one  direc- 
tion, now  they  were  turning  in  another,  and,  later 
still,  they  separated.  A  distant  firing  could  already 

332 


A   FIERCE   BATTLE    AT   SEA  233 

be  heard,  but  where  it  came  from  those  on  the  Sho- 
hirika  could  not  tell. 

So  far  no  ships  of  the  enemy  could  be  seen  with 
the  naked  eye.  The  lookouts  kept  a  close  watch, 
and  the  flashlights  continued  to  play  all  over  the 
bosom  of  the  rolling  sea. 

It  was  almost  daylight  when  a  distant  explosion 
was  heard.  A  Russian  torpedo  boat  had  run  into  a 
mine  and  was  so  badly  damaged  that  she  sank  inside 
of  ten  minutes,  carrying  a  large  part  of  her  crew 
with  her. 

This  disaster  proved  a  warning  to  the  other  Rus- 
sian ships  and  they  proceeded  on  their  courses  with 
added  caution.  The  Japanese  warships  were  equally 
on  the  alert,  yet,  just  as  the  sun  came  up,  one  brushed 
against  a  mine  and  received  such  damage  that  she 
was  practically  put  out  of  the  contest. 

"  There  is  one  of  the  enemy's  ships !  "  was  the  cry, 
as  the  mist  swept  away  as  if  by  magic  and  the  sun 
came  out  strongly.  "  Now  is  our  chance.  Banzai!  " 

"  And  there  is  another  ship ! "  came  a  moment 
later,  "  and  one  of  our  own  pounding  her  as  if  she 
was  a  witch !  " 

Guns  were  now  booming  over  the  water  con- 
stantly, and  from  the  forts  on  shore  came  shots  and 
shells  in  rapid  succession.  Soon  the  Shohirika  was 
in  the  midst  of  the  battle,  and  then  Luke  and  Larry 


234  AT   THE    FALL    OF   PORT   ARTHUR 

worked  over  the  gun  as  never  before,  doing  their 
full  share  towards  disabling  the  ship  that  was  trying 
to  escape  up  the  Manchurian  coast. 

For  over  an  hour  the  running  fire  kept  up. 
Neither  ship  dared  to  put  on  full  speed,  for  fear 
of  running  into  a  mine.  Solid  shot  was  hurled  in 
all  directions,  and  the  Shohirika  received  one  below 
the  water  line  which  for  the  moment  looked  as  if  it 
might  sink  the  craft.  But  the  ship's  carpenter  and 
his  crew  got  at  the  leak  immediately,  driving  in  a 
wedge  which  quickly  stopped  the  flow  of  water. 

It  was  hard,  exhausting  work  between  decks,  and 
at  the  end  of  an  hour  Larry  felt  he  must  have  some 
fresh  air.  Both  he  and  Luke  applied  for  permission 
to  go  on  deck,  and  this  permission  was  readily 
granted,  for  the  guns  on  their  side  of  the  warship 
were  not  then  in  use. 

On  the  deck  of  the  Shohirika  they  could  see  what 
this  battle  really  meant.  Dirt  and  debris  were  to  be 
seen  in  many  places,  and  half  a  dozen  sailors  and 
marines  had  been  killed  or  wounded.  Everybody 
was  bathed  in  perspiration  and  grime,  and  some  of 
those  who  worked  the  big  guns  were  panting  like 
dogs  after  a  chase. 

"  It's  work,  that's  what  it  is,"  said  Luke,  running 
the  perspiration  from  his  begrimed  forehead  with 
his  finger.  "  Ain't  no  child's  play  about  it!  " 


A   FIERCE   BATTLE   AT   SEA 

"  And  dangerous  work  at  that,"  added  Larry. 
He  gave  a  look  toward  the  enemy's  ships.  "  I  de- 
clare, Luke,  I  believe  they  are  running  back  to  Port 
Arthur  harbor ! " 

"  I  think  the  same,  lad,"  responded  the  Yankee 
gunner.  "  Reckon  they  are  findin'  it  is  goin'  to 
cost  too  much  to  get  away.  As  soon  as  they  get 
away  from  them  land  batteries  we  can  pound  'em 
for  keeps  and  they  know  it." 

"  And  get  away  from  the  mines.  That's  the 
worst  with  fighting  around  here — you  don't  know 
how  soon  you'll  hit  a  mine  and  be  blown  up." 

"  Oh,  I  reckon  our  captain  is  watching  out  fer 
them  pesky  things." 

Larry  was  interested  in  watching  the  sharp- 
shooters and  range-finders  in  the  tops,  and  he  walked 
across  the  deck  to  get  a  better  look  at  them.  Luke 
followed,  and  as  he  did  so,  one  of  the  nearest  of  the 
Russian  ships  sent  out  a  roaring  broadside  at  the 
Shohirika  which  raked  her  fore  and  aft  and  sent 
another  hole  through  her  side,  but  this  time  above  the 
water  line  where  it  did  scant  damage. 

"  Gee  Christopher ! "  began  Luke,  when  he 
chanced  to  glance  upward.  "  Larry,  look  out !  "  he 
screamed.  "  The  top's  coming  down  on  ye !  ' 

Luke  was  right.  One  of  the  shots  from  the  enemy 
had  struck  the  foremast,  above  the  fighting  top,  and 


236  AT   THE   FALL   OF   PORT   ARTHUR 

it  was  crashing  down,  carrying  a  portion  of  the  ship's 
flag  with  it.  One  end  struck  the  gun  turret,  and 
then  the  wreckage  hit  Larry  on  the  shoulder,  hurling 
him  on  his  back. 

The  foremast  was  heavy  and  had  it  struck  the 
youth  before  landing  on  the  turret  and  the  sur- 
rounding works  it  might  have  killed  the  young 
gunner's  mate  on  the  spot.  As  it  was,  Larry  lay  like 
a  log  where  he  had  fallen  and  when  Luke  raised 
him  up  the  old  tar  found  him  unconscious. 

"If  he  ain't  got  his  shoulder  broke  then  I  miss 
my  guess,"  muttered  the  Yankee  gunner.  "  Larry ! 
Larry!  Can't  ye  speak  to  me?  " 

"  That  was  a  nasty  one,"  came  from  one  of  the 
officers  of  the  deck.  "  Better  carry  him  below." 
And  then  the  officer  gave  orders  to  remove  the 
wreckage  and  hoist  the  flag  once  more. 

With  the  unconscious  youth  in  his  arms,  Luke 
hurried  below  and  to  the  sick  bay  of  the  warship. 
Here  the  surgeon  got  to  work  immediately  and 
examined  Larry  thoroughly. 

"  No  bones  broken,"  he  announced.  "  But  the 
bruise  is  severe  and  he  is  suffering  from  shock.  He 
will  soon  come  to  his  senses." 

Luke  had  to  return  to  his  gun,  for  duty  is  duty  in 
the  navy,  regardless  of  what  is  happening  around 
one.  It  was  true,  the  Russian  warships  were  now 


A   FIERCE   BATTLE   AT   SEA  237 

doing  their  best  to  sneak  back  into  Port  Arthur  har- 
bor and  Admiral  Togo  wanted  to  do  all  the  damage 
possible  before  the  forts  made  it  impossible  to  follow 
them  further.  All  of  the  warships'  guns  were 
worked  to  their  utmost,  and  when  the  Russian  ves- 
sels did  get  back  they  were  so  badly  crippled  that 
they  were  of  small  consequence  for  future  fighting 
until  undergoing  repairs. 

When  Larry  opened  his  eyes  again  he  found  him- 
self lying  on  a  clean  white  cot  in  the  ship's  hospital 
with  an  attendant  standing  over  him  bathing  his 
face. 

"  Oh ! "  he  murmured  and  stared  around  him. 
"  Oh,  my  shoulder !  That  was  a  fearful  crack  I 
got!" 

The  attendant  did  not  understand,  but  smiled 
blandly  and  continued  to  bathe  his  face  and  also  his 
head.  Soon  the  full  realization  of  what  had  hap- 
pened came  to  the  young  gunner's  mate.  Then  he 
asked  about  Luke. 

The  fighting  was  at  an  end  and  presently  Luke 
came  to  him,  to  find  Larry  sitting  up  in  a  chair. 

"  I  feel  stiff  and  sore  all  over,  Luke,"  said  the 
youth.  "  It  was  just  as  if  a  house  came  down  on 
me." 

"  Thank  fortune  you  wasn't  killed,  or  didn't  have 
your  bones  broken,"  returned  the  Yankee  gunner. 


238  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  I  am  thankful.     Were  you  hurt  ?  " 

"  Not  in  the  least." 

"What  about  the  fight?" 

"  The  Russians  have  sneaked  back  into  the  harbor 
like  a  lot  of  whipped  dogs." 

"  What  is  our  ship  doing?  " 

"  Putting  up  the  coast.  I  don't  know  where  we 
are  going,"  answered  Luke. 

Larry  remained  in  the  ship's  hospital  for  three 
days  and  then  resumed  his  duties  as  before.  His 
shoulder  still  felt  stiff  and  sore  and  lifting  anything 
was  a  good  deal  of  labor.  But  Luke  favored  him, 
so  he  got  along  very  well. 

A  week  passed  and  the  Shohirika  remained  at  sea, 
moving  in  a  wide  circle,  on  the  lookout  for  Russian 
warships  or  supply  boats.  But  none  were  encoun- 
tered, and  then  the  cruiser  was  ordered  to  escort  a 
transport  filled  with  soldiers  bound  for  the  front. 

The  transport  landed  at  a  point  some  miles  north 
of  Dalny  and  the  troops  went  ashore  without  delay. 
They  were  bound  for  the  railroad,  and  were  to  par- 
ticipate in  the  advance  upon  Port  Arthur  from  that 
point. 

As  the  warship  remained  in  the  harbor  several 
days,  both  Luke  and  Larry  were  allowed  a  short  run 
on  shore.  They  enjoyed  this  trip  very  much,  until, 
much  to  their  surprise,  they  learned  that  Major 


A   FIERCE   BATTLE    AT   SEA  239 

Okopa's  command  was  in  the  vicinity.  Then  they 
hunted  this  up,  to  learn  the  sad  news  from  Gilbert 
that  Ben  was  missing. 

"Missing!"  ejaculated  Larry,  in  horror. 
"Taken  by  Chunchuses!  Oh,  Gilbert,  this  is 
dreadful!" 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  as  you  feel  any  worse  than  I 
do,  Larry,"  answered  Gilbert.  "  It  makes  me  wild 
to  think  of  it." 

"  But  couldn't  you  find  any  trace  of  him  at  all  ?  " 

"  Not  the  slightest,  although  I  think  he  was 
carried  off  in  a  boat." 

"  But  why  should  the  Chinese  brigands  make 
him  a  prisoner  ?  " 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know,  excepting  to  hold  him 
for  a  ransom.  But  if  they  intended  to  do  that  it  is 
likely  we  should  have  heard  from  them  before  this." 

The  matter  was  discussed  as  long  as  Larry  and 
Luke  could  remain  on  shore.  But  nothing  came  of 
it,  and  with  a  heavy  heart  the  young  gunner's  mate 
returned  to  his  place  on  the  warship. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

THE  SIEGE  OF  PORT  ARTHUR 

AFTER  the  fruitless  effort  to  escape  from  Port 
Arthur  harbor  the  Russian  warships  "  bottled  up  " 
there  remained  where  they  were  for  a  long  time  to 
come.  Occasionally  one  or  another  attempted  to 
run  the  blockade,  but  results  were  usually  disastrous, 
and  at  last  the  risk  became  so  great  nothing  more 
was  done  in  that  direction.  The  Japanese  continued 
to  put  down  mines  and  sank  several  boats  loaded 
with  stone  in  or  near  the  winding  channel,  and  this 
made  getting  in  as  hard  as  getting  out — thus  putting 
a  stop  to  the  arrival  of  more  supply  boats,  such  as 
brought  Ben  to  the  seaport. 

In  the  meantime  the  campaign  on  land  was  pushed 
forward  with  increased  activity.  The  headquarters 
of  the  Japanese  army  investing  Port  Arthur  was  not 
far  from  the  railroad,  but  the  lines  stretched  many 
miles  to  the  east  and  the  west.  Troops  were  hurried 
both  from  Japan  and  from  the  divisions  near  Liao- 
Yang,  and  heavy  siege  guns  were  mounted  on  every 
available  hilltop.  The  Japanese  were,  at  the  start, 

240 


THE   SIEGE   OF    PORT   ARTHUR  24! 

at  a  great  disadvantage — they  could  not  see  the 
enemy  at  which  they  were  firing.  Hills  and  moun- 
tains cut  them  off  from  every  view  of  the  port.  But 
they  kept  hammering  away,  day  after  day,  week 
after  week,  and  month  after  month,  gaining  steadily, 
throwing  up  new  intrenchments,  digging  new  tun- 
nels, and  hauling  their  heavy  guns  forward  to  more 
advantageous  positions.  The  labor  was  body  rack- 
ing and  the  sacrifice  of  life  enormous.  But  the 
Mikado's  soldiers  did  not  appear  to  care.  They  had 
set  out  to  capture  Port  Arthur  and  they  were  going 
to  do  it. 

For  the  foot-soldiers  and  for  the  cavalry  there 
was  at  the  start  but  little  to  do  in  the  way  of  fighting. 
Most  of  the  time  was  spent  in  digging  trenches  and 
tunnels,  and  in  keeping  out  of  the  way  of  shells  that 
whistled  and  screamed  in  all  directions — shells 
weighing  hundreds  of  pounds,  which,  when  they 
struck,  tore  up  the  ground  for  yards  around  and 
smashed  the  rocks  as  if  the  latter  were  passing 
through  a  quartz  crusher.  Such  is  war  of  modern 
times,  when  carried  on  at  a  distance  of  miles. 

But  as  the  months  went  by,  and  Japanese  and 
Russians  came  closer  to  each  other,  hand-to-hand 
conflicts  became  numerous.  The  Russians  contested 
every  foot  of  the  ground,  fighting  with  a  courage 
that  was  truly  heroic,  and  sacrificing  themselves 


242  AT   THE    FALL   OF   PORT   ARTHUR 

freely  for  the  Czar  and  the  country  they  loved.  The 
hand-to-hand  conflicts  became  bloody  in  the  extreme, 
thousands  upon  thousands  being  slaughtered  be- 
tween the  rising  and  the  setting  of  the  sun. 

From  the  seacoast  the  command  to  which  Gilbert 
was  attached  moved  to  a  small  place  called  Fugi 
Klan.  Here  they  went  into  camp  for  several  weeks 
and  while  there  were  joined  by  a  number  of  other 
commands,  including  that  containing  those  old  sol- 
diers of  fortune,  Dan  Casey  and  Carl  Stummer,  who 
had  served  with  Gilbert  and  Ben  in  Cuba  and  in  the 
Philippines. 

"  Py  chiminy,  of  it  ton't  done  mine  heart  goot  to 
see  you,  cabtain ! "  exclaimed  Carl  Stummer,  rush- 
ing up  and  giving  Gilbert  a  handshake.  "  How  you 
peen,  annavay  ?  " 

"  First  rate,  Stummer.  And  how  are  you, 
Casey?" 

"  Sure  an'  it's  meself  is  as  foine  as  a  fiddle," 
answered  the  Irishman,  with  a  broad  grin  on  his 
freckled  face.  "  It's  a  great  war,  ain't  it  now  ? 
Both  soides  is  fightin'  like  a  pair  o'  Kilkenny  cats,  so 
they  are!  An'  where  is  me  ould  friend,  Captain 
Russell?" 

"  He  was  captured  by  Chunchuses." 

"  No !  "  came  from  both  Stummer  and  Casey,  and 
then  they  poured  in  a  volley  of  questions  which  were 


THE   SIEGE   OF    PORT   ARTHUR  243 

bewildering.  Gilbert  answered  them  as  best  he 
could. 

"  Dot's  der  vorst  ding  vot  I  hear  yet  alretty !  "  said 
Carl  Stummer,  with  a  sad  shake  of  his  head.  "  I 
vish  I  got  dem  Chunchusers — or  vot  you  call  dem — 
here.  I  fix  'em,  eh,  Tan  ?  " 

Dan  Casey  nodded  vigorously.  "  Sure  an'  we'd 
be  after  puttin'  a  ball  through  ivery  mother's  son 
of  'em,  so  we  would !  Poor  Ben  Russell !  I  loiked 
him  loike  a  brother !  "  And  the  honest  Irish  sharp- 
shooter heaved  a  long  sigh. 

Both  Casey  and  Stummer  had  been  having  easy 
times  of  it  for  several  weeks,  but  now  they  were 
called  upon  to  go  forth  with  pick  and  shovel,  to  do 
their  share  of  work  in  digging  intrenchments.  This 
was  not  so  nice,  but  they  went  at  the  labor  without 
a  murmur. 

"  Sure  an'  we  might  as  well  git  into  practice,"  ob- 
served Casey,  as  he  started  in  with  vigor.  "  Whin 
the  war's  over  an'  we  git  back  to  the  States,  it  may 
be  ourselves  as  will  be  workin'  fer  the  corporation  in 
New  York  or  ilsewhere !  " 

"  Yah,  udder  puttin'  town  railroad  dracks  alretty 
in  der  Vest,"  answered  Carl  Stummer.  "  Dot  is,"  he 
added,  "  of  I  ton't  got  money  enough  to  puy  a  farm." 

"  Tis  a  stock  farm  I'm  wantin',"  came  from 
Casey.  "  Wid  horses  galore.  There's  money  for 


244  AT   THE   FALL   OF   PORT   ARTHUR 

ye,  Carl !  "  And  he  went  to  work  with  added  vigor 
— as  if  he  expected  to  turn  up  the  stock  farm  from 
the  soil  beneath  him. 

To  Gilbert,  even  though  he  occasionally  saw 
Stummer  and  Casey,  the  days  were  very  lonely.  He 
missed  Ben  greatly,  and  each  day  wondered  if  he 
would  ever  see  his  old  war  chum  again.  Major 
Okopa  saw  this  and  did  what  he  could  to  cheer  up 
the  young  officer. 

"  He  may  turn  up  before  you  realize  it,"  said  the 
major.  "  I  don't  think  he  was  killed." 

"  If  he  is  alive,  it  is  very  strange  that  we  do  not 
hear  from  him." 

Two  days  later  came  a  batch  of  letters  into  camp, 
written,  or  rather  painted,  for  the  most  part,  on  thin 
Japanese  paper.  Among  the  communications  were 
two  for  Gilbert,  one  from  Captain  Ponsberry  con- 
cerning the  Columbia  and  her  cargo,  and  the  other 
from  a  stranger  in  Pekin,  China. 

"  Who  can  be  writing  to  me  from  Pekin,  China  ?  " 
mused  the  young  captain,  and  began  to  read  the  com- 
munication with  interest.  It  was  from  a  Chinese 
merchant,  and  ran  in  part  as  follows : 

"  You  will  be  mystified  to  receive  this  from  an 
utter  stranger,  but  I  deem  it  my  duty,  kind  sir,  to 
send  this  word  to  you. 


THE   SIEGE   OF    PORT    ARTHUR  245 

"  Know,  then,  that  one  Ken  Gow,  a  servant  of  my 
family,  was  in  Port  Arthur  up  to  sixteen  days  ago — 
first  a  servant  in  an  American  family  there,  and  next 
a  prisoner  in  the  vilest  prison  man  ever  saw,  guarded 
by  dogs  of  Russians  unworthy  to  be  used  as  door 
mats.  Ken  Gow  is  a  faithful  man,  the  flower  of  all 
my  help. 

"  It  is  needless  to  explain  to  you  why  my  servant 
was  thus  ill-treated.  But  you  must  know  that  when 
in  prison  he  met  your  great  friend  Captain  Benjamin 
Russell,  and  it  was  the  captain  who  saved  Ken  Gow 
from  many  hard  blows  from  the  other  prisoners, 
who  wanted  not  a  Chinaman  amongst  them. 

"  Ken  Gow  was  grateful,  even  as  I  am  grateful, 
and  he  promised  to  get  word  to  you  of  this  matter 
if  the  Russians  granted  him  his  liberty.  Finding  no 
fault  in  my  servant  he  was,  after  a  time,  liberated, 
and  watching  his  chance,  left  Port  Arthur  and  came 
home. 

"  Kind  sir,  he  is  grateful  to  Captain  Russell  and 
would  do  much  for  him  if  he  could.  Yet  his  most 
is  to  send  this  letter  to  you,  telling  you  that  Captain 
Russell  is  alive  and  held  in  a  Port  Arthur  prison 
as  a  spy.  One  Russian  hates  him — his  name,  Cap- 
tain Barusky, — and  it  would  appear  that  this  Rus- 
sian is  also  your  enemy,  so  beware  of  him. 

"  I  can  tell  no  more.     Ken  Gow  is  sick  from  his 


AT   THE    FALL    OF   PORT   ARTHUR 

treatment  at  the  hands  of  the  Russian  dogs.  Accept 
this  miserable  assurance  of  my  eternal  friendship, 
and  esteem  for  one  I  know  must  be  high  and 
illustrious. 

"  CHENG  Mo." 

Gilbert  read  the  letter  several  times  and  showed  it 
to  Major  Okopa.  It  was  written  in  true  Chinese 
style,  with  a  big  Chinese  seal  attached,  and  was, 
beyond  all  doubt,  genuine. 

"  I  can't  understand  one  thing,"  said  the  young 
captain.  "  How  did  Ben  get  to  Port  Arthur  ?  " 

"  It  may  be  that  this  Captain  Barusky  had  him 
taken  there,  Captain  Pennington." 

"  I  thought  Captain  Barusky  was  at  Mukden." 

"  The  Russians  have  been  taking  in  some  troops 
at  Port  Arthur  on  the  sly.  Despite  Admiral  Togo's 
efforts,  some  supply  boats  and  transports  have  passed 
his  ships." 

"  If  Barusky  is  there  he  will  do  what  he  can  to 
make  Ben  miserable.  He  is  down  on  both  of  us — 
for  he  knows  we  are  down  on  him  and  Ivan  Sno- 
koff." 

"  Do  you  think  Snokoff  could  have  anything  to  do 
with  this?" 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know.  Anything  is  possible. 
Snokoff  would  be  glad  to  make  trouble  for  Ben — 


THE   SIEGE   OF    PORT   ARTHUR  247 

since  he  helped  me  to  make  him  settle  up  at  Liao- 
Yang.  Those  Chunchuses  tried  to  capture  both  of 
us." 

The  matter  was  talked  over  for  half  an  hour,  but 
brought  forth  no  satisfaction.  To  Gilbert's  mind, 
being  held  by  the  Russians  as  a  spy  was  as  bad  as 
being  in  the  hands  of  the  Chinese  brigands. 

"  I  wish  we  could  get  into  Port  Arthur  at  once," 
he  said,  finally.  "  I  shouldn't  like  anything  better 
than  to  capture  this  Captain  Barusky  and  liberate 
Ben." 

"  We  are  bound  to  get  into  the  port  sooner  or 
later,"  answered  Major  Okopa.  "  They  are  bring- 
ing up  more  siege  guns  every  day.  If  the  Russians 
won't  give  up  we'll  batter  the  whole  town  down  over 
their  heads." 

"  Which  will  be  a  bad  thing  for  Ben,"  rejoined 
Gilbert.  "  I  don't  want  him  killed  in  the  attempt 
to  rescue  him." 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

FROM  ONE  DIFFICULTY  TO  ANOTHER 

"  WHERE  is  this  going  to  end  ?  " 

It  was  Ben  who  asked  himself  the  question,  as  he 
walked  up  and  down  the  narrow  cell  in  which  he  had 
been  confined  in  the  prison  at  Port  Arthur. 

What  had  been  written  to  Gilbert  in  the  letter  from 
Pekin  had  been  substantially  correct.  Ben  had  aided 
Ken  Gow  in  numerous  ways,  and  for  this  the  China- 
man had  been  extremely  grateful  and  had  promised 
to  do  all  he  could  for  the  young  captain  should  he 
manage  to  escape  from  the  blockaded  seaport.  Then 
Ken  Gow  had  disappeared  one  night,  and  that  was 
the  last  Ben  saw  of  him. 

Three  days  later  a  guard  entered  the  prison  and 
announced  that  the  prisoners  were  to  be  transferred 
to  other  quarters.  With  his  hands  bound  behind 
him,  Ben  was  marched  forth  through  a  side  street  of 
Port  Arthur,  where  stood  an  old  building  which  had 
formerly  been  used  as  a  market.  Cells  had  been 
built  in  this  structure,  and  into  one  of  these  he  was 
thrust,  the  guard  sarcastically  telling  him  to  make 
himself  as  comfortable  as  possible. 

348 


FROM    ONE   DIFFICULTY   TO   ANOTHER          249 

The  young  captain  was  sick  in  both  body  and 
mind  and  fast  reaching  that  point  where  one  becomes 
desperate  and  fit  for  any  deed  of  daring.  More  than 
once  he  was  tempted  to  throw  himself  on  the  guard 
in  an  endeavor  to  overpower  the  fellow  and  escape. 
But  he  realized  that  if  caught  at  this  he  would  be 
immediately  shot  down. 

Day  after  day  passed,  and  from  outside  the  pris- 
oner heard  the  dull  booming  of  cannon.  Occa- 
sionally a  shell  would  explode  close  to  the  prison, 
causing  a  wild  yell  of  alarm  and  a  general  rush  by 
those  outside.  There  were  flags  over  the  prisons 
and  over  the  hospitals,  showing  what  manner  of 
places  they  were,  but,  as  said  before,  the  Japanese 
were  at  a  loss  to  see  what  they  were  firing  at,  so 
many  shots  and  shells  went  where  they  were  not  in- 
tended. These  mishaps  were  what  caused  the  re- 
port to  circulate  that  the  Mikado's  men  were  not 
fighting  according  to  the  rules  of  modern  warfare, 
but  were  doing  their  best  to  shatter  the  hospitals  in 
which  lay  their  own  and  the  Russian  wounded. 

It  was  a  cold,  raw  day,  with  a  touch  of  snow  in 
the  air,  and  Ben  felt  one  of  his  desperate  moods 
coming  over  him.  His  hands  and  feet  were  free 
and  he  peered  forth  from  the  one  narrow  window 
that  the  cell  contained.  All  he  could  see  beyond  was 
a  courtyard,  surrounded  by  a  stone  wall. 


25O  AT   THE    FALL   OF   PORT   ARTHUR 

"  I  wish  I  was  out  there — I'd  get  over  that  wall 
somehow !  "  he  muttered  to  himself. 

The  cell  window  was  not  over  fifteen  or  sixteen 
inches  wide  and  twice  that  in  height.  The  bars  were 
of  iron,  but  set  in  wooden  frames  but  a  few  inches 
in  thickness. 

"  A  fellow  might  smash  out  those  bars  with  the 
bench  end,"  he  thought.  "  But  after  that  what?  I 
reckon  the  guard  in  the  courtyard  would  shoot  me 
on  sight.  I  might  try  it  at  night." 

Still  in  a  desperate  mood,  Ben  picked  up  the  bench, 
a  solid  affair  several  feet  long.  He  made  an  imag- 
inary lunge  at  the  window  bars  with  it. 

"  Pll  wager  I  could  knock  them  out  with  one  blow. 
They " 

Ben  got  no  further,  for  at  the  moment  a  fearful 
explosion  sounded  somewhere  overhead.  The  ex- 
plosion was  followed  by  a  crash  and  a  wild  yell  of 
alarm.  A  Japanese  shell  had  struck  the  top  of  the 
building,  tearing  away  fully  a  quarter  of  the  roof 
and  sending  the  bricks  and  timbers  flying  in  all  direc- 
tions. 

"  Now  is  my  chance !  "  he  muttered,  and  without 
stopping  to  think  twice  he  rammed  the  window  bars 
as  hard  as  he  could  with  the  bench.  A  second  and 
third  blow  followed,  and  down  went  the  irons,  carry- 
ing a  portion  of  the  window  frame  with  them. 


FROM   ONE   DIFFICULTY   TO    ANOTHER          2$  I 

Then  through  the  opening  leaped  the  young  captain. 
As  he  landed  in  the  courtyard,  he  picked  up  a  small 
log  of  wood  lying  handy. 

A  glance  around  told  him  that  the  guard  was  no- 
where in  sight,  the  Russian  having  run  to  the  other 
side  of  the  building  to  note  the  damage  done  by  the 
shell.  Log  in  hand,  Ben  leaped  quickly  across  the 
courtyard  and  placed  the  bit  of  wood  up  against  the 
wall.  This  gave  him  a  footing,  and  in  a  twinkling 
he  was  on  top  of  the  wall. 

But  though  he  acted  quickly  a  guard  from  the 
prison  building  saw  him  and  ran  forth  gun  in  hand. 

"  Halt ! "  came  the  command,  in  Russian,  and 
then,  raising  his  weapon,  the  guard  fired  at  Ben. 

The  bullet  whistled  over  the  young  captain's  head, 
and  without  looking  back  to  see  who  had  fired  it,  he 
dropped  on  the  other  side  of  the  wall.  Then  he 
sprinted  up  the  street  and  around  a  corner. 

Ben  knew  not  where  to  go,  but  his  one  thought 
was  to  put  distance  between  himself  and  the  prison, 
and  he  hurried  on  and  on,  until  he  came  to  a  barn 
which  stood  open.  Into  this  he  darted,  to  find  the 
building  empty  of  occupants. 

The  Japanese  had  begun  a  general  bombardment 
of  Port  Arthur  and  shot  and  shells  were  flying  in 
all  directions.  This  being  the  case,  the  majority  of 
the  troops  and  the  inhabitants  were  out  of  sight, — 


AT    THE    FALL    OF    PORT    ARTHUR 

hid  away  in  cellars  and  dugouts.  Nobody  paid  any 
attention  to  him  and  he  was  thus  given  ample  time 
in  which  to  think  matters  over  and  decide  upon  his 
next  movement. 

From  the  barn  Ben  moved  to  the  building  next 
door — which  was  a  sort  of  dwelling  and  storehouse 
combined.  Here,  from  the  wide  open  doorway,  he 
gazed  at  the  scene  of  destruction  before  him.  It 
was  full  of  horror  and  made  him  shiver. 

"  War  is  certainly  a  terrible  thing,"  he  thought. 
He  saw  some  people  running  for  their  lives,  and 
beheld  one  man  go  down  struck  in  the  back  by  a 
shell.  Then  he  turned  away  to  shut  out  the  sight. 

In  one  room  of  the  warehouse  he  found  an  old 
overcoat  and  a  slouch  hat,  and  lost  no  time  in  don- 
ning these,  both  as  a  disguise  and  to  keep  himself 
warm.  Then  he  hunted  around  for  something  to 
eat,  but  could  not  find  a  mouthful. 

"  I  might  have  known  there  would  be  no  food 
squandered,"  he  told  himself.  "  Didn't  they  say  at 
the  prison  that  they  were  slaughtering  the  horses 
just  for  the  meat,  and  that  butter  and  eggs  were 
worth  their  weight  in  gold?  I'll  be  lucky  to  get 
bread  and  soup — especially  as  I  haven't  a  dollar  with 
which  to  pay  for  a  meal." 

Ben  was  about  to  leave  the  warehouse  when  he 
saw  a  file  of  Russian  soldiers  approaching.  With 


FROM    ONE   DIFFICULTY   TO    ANOTHER          253 

the  soldiers  were  two  officers,  and  as  they  came  closer 
he  recognized  one  as  Captain  Barusky. 

"  It  was  a  bad  thing  to  let  that  American  escape," 
said  the  captain  to  the  other  officer.  "  If  you  catch 
sight  of  him,  shoot  him  on  the  spot." 

"  Which  we  shall  do  with  pleasure,"  was  the  ready 
answer;  and  then  officers  and  soldiers  passed  on. 

"  I've  got  to  keep  out  of  sight,  that's  all  there  is 
to  that,"  reasoned  Ben,  grimly.  "  If  they  catch  me 
again  it's  all  up  with  me.  I  wonder  if  it  would  be 
possible  to  get  out  of  Port  Arthur  ?  Gilbert  got  out, 
but  things  weren't  half  so  closely  guarded  as  they 
are  now." 

Ben  waited  until  nightfall  before  leaving  the  ware- 
house. Then,  keeping  a  constant  lookout  for  Rus- 
sian soldiers,  he  sneaked  along  one  street  after 
another.  Where  to  go  he  did  not  know,  but  he 
realized  that  he  must  have  something  to  eat  or  he 
would  starve. 

Presently  he  came  to  a  small  garden  in  the  center 
of  which  was  a  neat-looking  residence.  On  the  door- 
plate  was  the  name  Nathan  Chase. 

"Nathan  Chase!"  Ben  cried,  half  aloud.  "I 
wonder  if  that  can  be  the  gentleman  Gilbert  knew? 
If  it  is  perhaps  he  will  aid  me." 

At  first  the  young  captain  thought  to  ring  the 
doorbell,  but  fearful  of  meeting  the  wrong  person 


254  AT   THE    FALL    OF   PORT   ARTHUR 

he  resolved  to  investigate  in  a  more  private  manner. 
The  side  windows  of  the  residence  were  curtained, 
but  the  curtains  were  only  partly  down.  Going  to 
one  of  the  windows  he  peered  inside. 

In  a  neatly  furnished  sitting  room  sat  a  young 
lady  and  a  Russian  soldier.  They  were  arguing 
about  something — money  matters  as  far  as  Ben 
could  make  out.  The  young  lady  did  not  wish  to 
give  the  soldier  the  money  and  he  insisted  upon 
having  it.  While  Ben  gazed  at  the  scene,  the  Rus- 
sian soldier  leaped  up,  grasped  the  young  lady  by  the 
shoulders  and  shook  her  roughly. 

"  Don't !  "  screamed  the  young  lady,  in  English. 
"Let  me  go!" 

"  I  want  the  money !  "  answered  the  soldier,  in  his 
native  tongue.  He  was  a  Cossack  and  of  brutal 
features. 

The  young  lady  was  pretty  and  she  was  helpless, 
and  this  combination  was  more  than  the  young  cap- 
tain could  resist.  Regardless  of  consequences,  he 
shoved  up  the  window  and  leaped  inside  the  apart- 
ment. 

"  Keep  your  hands  off  of  that  young  lady ! "  he 
cried,  and  catching  the  Cossack  by  the  shoulder  he 
threw  him  backward.  "  Don't  you  know  how  to 
treat  a  lady  when  you  meet  her,  you  big  brute  ?  " 

The  Cossack  was  startled,  first  because  he  had  not 


FROM    ONE   DIFFICULTY   TO   ANOTHER          255 

expected  the  interruption  and  secondly  because  he 
had  no  business  to  be  in  the  mansion.  He  gave  one 
look  at  Ben  and  then  rushed  out  into  the  hallway  and 
left  the  premises  with  all  possible  speed. 

As  soon  as  the  Cossack  was  gone  the  young  lady 
and  Ben  stared  at  each  other.  She  started  to  speak, 
but  stopped  suddenly. 

"  Excuse  me  for  coming  in  as  I  did,  but  I  thought 
it  was  necessary,"  said  the  young  captain.  "  I  guess 
that  fellow  had  no  business  here." 

"  You  are  right,  sir.  Papa  is  away,  and  he 
wanted  me  to  give  him  money.  He  must  have 
known  I  was  alone  in  the  house." 

"  Are  you  Miss  Chase?  " 

"  I  am.     But  you  have  the  advantage  of  me." 

"  I  know  it.  I  am  Captain  Benjamin  Russell. 
Perhaps  you  know  an  old  friend  of  mine,  Gilbert 
Pennington.  He  knows  your  father,  I  believe." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  have  met  Captain  Pennington. 
They  tell  me  he  is  now  in  the  Japanese  army." 

"  He  is."  Ben  paused  and  looked  at  the  young 
lady  keenly.  "  Miss  Chase,  can  I  trust  you  ?  "  he 
asked,  abruptly. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  I  will  tell  you,"  and  in  a  few  brief  words  he 
related  his  story,  to  which  Grace  Chase  listened  with 
close  attention. 


AT   THE    FALL   OF   PORT   ARTHUR 

"  You  were  lucky  to  escape  from  that  prison !  "  she 
cried,  when  he  had  finished.  "  To  be  sure  I  will 
assist  you  as  far  as  I  can.  Papa  is  away  on  busi- 
ness, but  I  expect  him  back  in  two  or  three  hours. 
We  haven't  much  on  hand  to  eat,  but  such  as  there  is 
you  are  welcome  to." 

"  I'm  hungry  enough  to  eat  anything,"  said  Ben, 
with  a  little  smile. 

"  Then  come  with  me  to  the  dining  room,  Captain 
Russell,  and  I  will  prepare  supper." 

"  You  haven't  any  servants  now,  I  suppose?  " 

"  No;  every  one  of  them  has  deserted  us." 

They  entered  the  dining  room,  and  the  young  lady 
asked  Ben  to  close  the  shutters.  While  he  was  doing 
this  she  prepared  such  a  meal  as  the  larder  of  the 
house  afforded.  It  was  not  much,  but  he  did  not 
complain,  and  he  thanked  her  warmly  for  giving 
what  he  felt  she  could  ill  afford  to  set  before  him. 

The  meal  finished,  they  sat  down  to  await  the 
coming  of  Mr.  Chase.  While  doing  this  Ben  related 
some  of  his  experiences  in  the  army  and  the  young 
lady  told  of  the  horrors  of  the  siege. 

"  One  cannot  understand  it  unless  you  are  in  the 
midst  of  it,"  she  said.  "  Papa  says  business  is  at  a 
standstill,  the  hospitals  are  filled  with  the  sick  and  the 
wounded,  and  we  are  in  constant  dread  that  the  next 
moment  will  be  our  last.  The  suspense  is  so  great 


FROM    ONE   DIFFICULTY   TO    ANOTHER          257 

that  in  one  or  two  cases  the  inhabitants  have  gone 
crazy." 

"  I  can  well  believe  that,  Miss  Chase.  During  the 
war  in  the  Philippines  I  saw " 

Ben  paused,  as  a  heavy  footstep  sounded  on  the 
porch  of  the  residence.  Other  footsteps  followed, 
and  then  came  a  loud  knock  on  the  door. 

"  Open  here !  "  demanded  a  voice  in  Russian. 
"  Open,  in  the  name  of  the  Czar ! " 


A  SURPRISE  FOR  LARRY 

As  the  days  passed,  the  watch  upon  Port  Arthur 
from  the  sea  became  closer  and  closer.  Admiral 
Togo  gave  strict  orders  that  no  ships  should  be 
allowed  to  enter  or  come  from  the  harbor  under  any 
circumstances,  and  each  commander  of  a  warship 
was  on  his  mettle,  knowing  full  well  that  if  he  was 
derelict  in  his  duty  he  would  speedily  hear  from  his 
superior  in  a  manner  far  from  pleasant. 

Blockading  became  something  of  a  monotony  to 
Larry  and  Luke,  and  after  several  weeks  had  passed 
both  wished  something  would  happen. 

"  I'd  rather  put  up  with  a  stiff  sea  fight  than  this," 
declared  the  young  gunner's  mate. 

"  Right  ye  are,  lad,"  replied  the  old  Yankee  tar. 
"  Ain't  no  use  o'  bein'  ready  for  a  tussle  if  it  ain't 
comin'.  As  it  now  is,  life  in  the  navy  ain't  no  more 
excitin'  nor  life  on  the  old  Columbia" 

During  that  time  Larry  received  a  letter  from 
Captain  Ponsberry,  similar  in  contents  to  that  sent 
to  Gilbert.  The  Japanese  Government  had  released 

a$8 


A   SURPRISE   FOR   LARRY  259 

the  cargo  of  the  schooner  and  then  bought  the  same 
at  a  good  round  price.  The  ship  had  also  been  re- 
leased, Captain  Ponsberry  having  to  pay  a  nominal 
sum  for  this  action. 

"  I  think  the  captain  is  lucky  to  get  off  so  easily," 
said  Larry.  "I  suppose  the  Japanese  Government 
might  have  scooped  in  everything." 

"  Well,  the  Japs  think  it  best  to  remain  friendly 
to  the  United  States,"  answered  Luke,  and  it 
is  likely  that  the  old  sailor  was  more  than  half 
right. 

Cold  weather  had  come  in  earnest  and  work  on 
deck  was  far  from  pleasant.  Yet  each  man  on  the 
Shohirika  had  to  do  his  full  duty  as  before,  and, 
be  it  said  to  their  credit,  not  a  sailor  or  marine  did 
any  shirking.  Gun  drills  and  various  exercises  were 
kept  up  constantly. 

One  day  the  warship  ran  close  to  a  big  trading 
brig  bound  for  Hong-Kong.  As  was  the  custom, 
the  brig  stopped  to  allow  the  commander  of  the  Sho- 
hirika to  make  certain  that  she  was  not  carrying  con- 
trabands of  war  for  Russia  or  had  no  intentions  of 
running  the  blockade. 

While  this  examination  was  going  on,  Larry  and 
Luke  chanced  to  come  on  deck,  curious  to  have  a 
look  at  the  stranger. 

"  About  as  big  a  brig  as  I  ever  see  in  these  parts," 


260  AT    THE    FALL    OF    PORT    ARTHUR 

was  the  Yankee  tar's  comment.  "  She  must  carry  a 
whopping  cargo." 

"  Yes,  and  a  lot  of  men  to  man  her,"  answered 
Larry.  "  Think  of  hoisting  and  furling  such  sails 
as  she  carries !  " 

The  two  vessels  had  come  fairly  close  to  each 
other,  and  our  friends  continued  to  survey  the  brig 
with  interest.  Then  Larry  gave  a  cry. 

"  Oh,  Luke,  I  wish  I  had  a  glass ! " 

"Why?" 

"  Unless  I  am  mistaken,  there  is  Shamhaven  on 
the  deck  of  that  ship !  " 

"No!" 

Larry  pointed  with  his  hand.  "  Doesn't  that  look 
like  him  ?  "  he  continued. 

"  Keelhaul  me,  if  I  don't  think  you're  right,  lad. 
Wait,  I'll  get  a  glass  an'  make  certain !  " 

The  old  tar  knew  where  he  could  borrow  a  glass, 
and  in  a  minute  more  he  returned,  and  both  took  a 
brief  look  through  the  instrument. 

"  It  is  Shamhaven !  "  ejaculated  Larry.  "  And 
look,  there  is  Peterson  coming  from  the  fo'castle ! " 

"  That's  so.     What  ye  goin'  to  do  about  it?  " 

"  Tell  the  officer  of  the  deck.  They  shan't  get  off 
with  my  money  if  I  can  help  it." 

Rushing  away,  Larry  soon  acquainted  the  proper 
officer  with  what  he  had  discovered — telling  as  much 


A    SURPRISE    FOR   LARRY 

about  the  robbery  as  seemed  necessary.  The  officer 
was  interested,  and,  what  was  even  more  to  the 
point,  liked  the  young  American. 

"  Do  you  wish  to  go  to  yonder  ship  and  confront 
the  men  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Try  me  and  see !  "  answered  Larry,  excitedly. 
"  I  mean,  yes,  sir,"  he  stammered.  "  And  will  you 
let  Luke  Striker  go,  too?  " 

The  officer  agreed,  and  soon  another  small  boat 
put  off  from  the  warship,  and  Larry  and  Luke,  with 
the  officer,  were  speedily  landed  on  the  deck  of  the 
brig. 

"  You're  a  fine  rascal,  to  rob  me !  "  cried  Larry, 
rushing  up  to  Shamhaven.  "  And  to  rob  Captain 
Ponsberry,  too ! " 

Shamhaven  had  not  expected  this  encounter,  and 
for  the  moment  he  was  dumbstruck.  He  gazed 
from  Larry  to  Luke  as  if  they  were  ghosts. 

"I — I — who  are  you,  anyway?"  he  stammered. 
"  I  don't  know  you,"  he  added,  striving  to  regain 
his  composure. 

"  Yes,  you  do  know  me,  and  you  know  Luke 
Striker,  too,"  answered  the  young  gunner's  mate. 

"  What  does  this  mean  ?  "  asked  the  captain  of  the 
brig,  while  a  number  of  others  looked  on  with 
interest. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  it  means,  sir,"  said  Larry,  and 


262  AT   THE   FALL   OF   PORT   ARTHUR 

did  so.  "  He  has  got  to  give  up  my  money  belt  and 
my  money,  and  give  up  Captain  Ponsberry's  money, 
too." 

At  this  moment  Peterson  came  up  and  was 
promptly  collared  by  Luke. 

"  Stop !  Don't  you  vos  touch  me !  "  cried  Peter- 
son. "  I  ain't  noddings  done,  no." 

"  You  helped  Shamhaven  to  rob  me,"  came  from 
Larry. 

"  No,  he  done  it  all  alone !  I  no  touch  nod- 
dings!" 

"  Oh,  shut  up ! "  roared  Shamhaven,  in  disgust. 
"  I  never  robbed  anybody.  If  you  lost  your  money 
Peterson  must  have  taken  it." 

A  quarrel  ensued  between  the  evildoers,  in  the 
midst  of  which  came  a  cry  from  the  Shohirika. 

"  An  enemy  is  in  sight !  " 

At  once  all  attention  was  turned  to  the  warship. 
Scarcely  a  minute  elapsed  when  a  signal  was  dis- 
played : 

"  A  battleship,  and  she  is  trying  to  escape  up  the 
coast ! " 

"  To  the  boats !  "  roared  the  Japanese  officer  on 
the  deck  of  the  brig.  "  To  the  boats  at  once !  This 
investigation  will  have  to  be  postponed.  We  shall 
expect  you  to  remain  as  you  are  " — the  latter  words 
to  the  captain  of  the  big  brig. 


A   SURPRISE   FOR   LARRY  263 

"As  you  will,"  was  the  smooth  answer. 

A  rush  was  made  for  the  two  small  boats,  Larry 
and  Luke  being  hustled  along  with  the  crowd. 
Soon  they  put  off  for  the  warship,  which  was  al- 
ready preparing  to  follow  the  Russian  battleship 
that  had  been  seen. 

"  I  didn't  get  my  money,  after  all,"  grumbled 
the  youth.  "But  perhaps  I'll  get  it  later — if 
that  ship  of  the  enemy  doesn't  sink  us,"  he 
added. 

As  soon  as  they  were  on  board  of  the  Shohirika 
again,  the  cruiser  started  after  the  battleship.  But 
the  enemy  had  a  good  lead,  and  it  was  some  time 
before  the  Japanese  warship  could  command  a  full 
head  of  steam,  which  meant  everything  to  her. 
Then,  when  steam  was  to  be  had  in  plenty,  there 
came  a  breakdown  in  the  engine  room,  causing  a 
delay  of  twenty  minutes. 

"  We'll  never  catch  her, — at  least,  not  to-day," 
said  Luke,  and  he  was  right.  Darkness  found  the 
battleship  still  three  miles  away.  Half  a  dozen  shots 
were  fired  at  her,  but  none  took  effect.  Then  night 
ended  the  pursuit. 

In  the  morning  nothing  was  to  be  seen  of  the 
enemy  and  those  on  the  Japanese  warship  were  much 
depressed,  for  they  had  fancied  that  an  encounter 
might  add  greatly  to  their  laurels.  But  shortly 


264  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

before  noon  the  lookout  announced  the  approach  of 
another  ship. 

"  A  Russian  cruiser !  "  was  the  cry. 

This  was  correct — the  vessel  was  the  auxiliary 
cruiser,  Pontomuk,  formerly  a  steamer  in  the 
Siberian  trade.  She  was  manned  by  a  fierce  and 
swarthy-looking  body  of  sailors  and  marines,  and 
carried  a  first  and  second  battery  of  no  mean  pro- 
portions. 

"  I'll  wager  we  have  got  some  work  cut  out  for 
us  now,"  said  Larry,  and  he  was  right.  Finding 
she  could  not  run  away  from  the  Shohirika  the  Rus- 
sian auxiliary  cruiser  came  steaming  up  and  let  drive 
at  close  range, — a  broadside  that  raked  the  Japanese 
warship  from  end  to  end  with  deadly  effect.  The 
Shohirika  answered  immediately,  and  both  the  steer- 
ing wheel  and  the  rudder  were  smashed  on  the 
enemy's  ship. 

"  Phew !  but  this  is  hot  work !  "  panted  Larry,  as 
all  those  around  the  gun  worked  like  Trojans. 

"An*  it's  going  to  be  hotter!  "  ejaculated  Luke. 
He  sighted  the  piece  with  care.  "  There,  Sally 
Jane,  let  her  go !  "  And  he  pressed  the  electric  but- 
ton. Bang!  went  the  gun  with  a  roar  that  was 
deafening.  Then  the  breech  was  thrown  open  and 
the  smoke  rolled  out,  filling  the  air  with  a  smell  that 
made  them  cough  and  sneeze.  But  nobody  stopped 


A   SURPRISE   FOR   LARRY  265 

work.  In  a  trice  the  gun  was  cleaned  and  cooled 
and  another  shell  pushed  into  place,  and  then  the 
firing  was  repeated. 

"  She's  coming  alongside ! "  was  the  announce- 
ment from  on  deck.  "  All  hands  to  repel  boarders !  " 

"  A  hand-to-hand  fight ! "  cried  Larry,  and 
scarcely  had  the  words  been  uttered  when  there 
came  a  bump  that  hurled  half  the  sailors  flat.  Up 
they  sprang,  and  as  order  after  order  was  delivered 
the  marines  and  others  ran  for  their  guns  and  cut- 
lasses, while  the  officers  saw  to  it  that  their  pistols 
were  ready  for  use. 

A  wild,  maddening  yell  came  from  the  deck  of  the 
Russian  ship,  as  marines  and  sailors  poured  over 
the  side.  An  answering  Banzai  issued  from  the 
Japanese,  and  they  met  the  first  onslaught  with 
vigor.  Then  came  a  fierce  tramping  over  the  deck, 
as  the  two  conflicting  parties  moved  first  to  one  side 
and  then  the  other. 

"  We  are  ordered  up !  "  cried  Larry,  a  few  minutes 
later.  "  Here  is  where  we  have  got  to  fight  for  it, 
Luke!" 

"  Right  you  are,  lad.  Do  your  best,  and  trust  to 
Heaven  for  the  rest ! "  was  the  Yankee  tar's  reply, 
and  then,  cutlasses  in  hand,  both  mounted  to  the 
deck,  to  engage  in  the  fiercest  hand-to-hand  en- 
counter either  of  them  had  ever  experienced. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

A  CALL  TO  REPEL  BOARDERS 

IT  was  a  battle  royal  from  the  start  and  for  some 
time  neither  side  had  an  advantage.  Pistol  shot  was 
met  by  pistol  shot,  and  a  rifle  gun  placed  on  the 
upper  deck  of  the  Russian  warship  was  balanced 
in  execution  by  a  similar  gun  mounted  on  the  Sho- 
hirika.  The  slaughter  created  by  both  weapons  was 
frightful,  a  dozen  or  more  going  down  on  either 
side  each  time  a  gun  was  discharged. 

When  Larry  and  Luke  came  out  on  desk  the  spec- 
tacle was  enough  to  make  the  blood  of  the  youth 
run  cold,  and  it  was  only  his  previous  experience 
in  warfare  which  rendered  him  capable  of  doing 
what  he  knew  was  his  duty. 

"  Charge  on  them !  "  came  the  cry  in  Japanese. 
"  Kill  them,  or  drive  them  back  to  their  ship ! 
Banzai! " 

"Banzai!  Banzai  Nippon!"  was  the  yell. 
"Hurrah  for  Japan!" 

The  Japanese  had  not  expected  a  hand-to-hand 
fight  and  the  closing  in  of  the  enemy  aroused  them 

266 


A  CALL  TO  REPEL  BOARDERS        267 

as  they  had  never  been  aroused  before.  For  the  first 
time  Larry  saw  the  sailors  and  marines  awakened 
to  their  full  fighting  fury — a  fury  in  which  every 
Japanese  scorns  death  and  thinks  that  to  die  is 
glory  for  himself,  his  family,  and  his  emperor. 
They  leaped  on  the  Russians  with  a  ferocity  that 
was  appalling,  and  that  first  shock  sent  the 
Czar's  men  back  to  the  deck  from  which  they  had 
come. 

But  the  Russians  were  likewise  aroused,  and  with 
cheers  and  yells  they  came  on  once  more,  leaping 
over  the  bodies  of  those  who  had  fallen,  and  meeting 
shot  with  shot  and  cutlass  stroke  with  cutlass  stroke. 
Officers  and  men  fought  side  by  side,  and  many  went 
down  to  a  common  death. 

By  instinct  Larry  and  Luke  kept  close  together, 
with  the  others  from  Luke's  gun  near  at  hand,  and 
Steve  Colton  and  Bob  Stanford  not  far  away.  Each 
used  his  cutlass  as  best  he  could,  warding  off  the 
blows  of  the  enemy  and  dealing  cuts  whenever  a 
chance  appeared.  Larry  was  glad  that  he  had 
learned  to  use  a  cutlass  so  well,  and  soon  found 
himself  the  match  of  almost  any  Russian  who  chal- 
lenged him. 

The  fighting  was  now  spread  over  the  decks  of 
both  vessels,  which  were  hooked  together  tightly  and 
pounding  broadside  at  every  swell  of  the  ocean.  To 


268  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

attempt  to  blow  up  either  ship  would  have  been 
fatal  probably  to  both — one  dragging  down  the 
other — so  no  such  attempt  was  made. 

While  the  fighting  was  at  its  height,  Larry  sud- 
denly found  himself  face  to  face  with  a  Russian 
lieutenant  of  marines.  The  fellow  had  a  pistol  in 
his  hand,  and  as  Larry  raised  his  cutlass  to  strike,  he 
dropped  the  weapon  on  a  level  with  the  youth's 
head  and  pulled  the  trigger. 

Had  the  bullet  sped  as  intended  it  is  likely  Larry 
would  have  been  killed.  But  just  as  the  trigger  fell 
Luke,  who  was  at  Larry's  side,  knocked  the  pistol 
to  one  side  with  his  cutlass  and  the  bullet  merely 
grazed  Larry's  hair.  Then  Larry  leaped  forward 
and  gave  the  Russian  lieutenant  a  thrust  in  the  side 
which  put  the  fellow  out  of  the  fight  instantly. 

For  fully  fifteen  minutes  the  battle  had  now  raged 
and  it  was  growing  hotter  each  instant.  All  of  the 
available  men  on  each  ship  were  in  the  fray,  and  the 
cries  and  yells  which  resounded  were  deafening. 

"  We  certainly  can't  keep  this  fight  up  much 
longer ! "  panted  Larry.  He  had  a  cut  on  his  left 
hand  and  one  in  the  shoulder,  but  kept  on  with 
dogged  determination. 

"  Well,  we  ain't  goin'  to  surrender !  "  grunted 
Luke.  "  It's  fight  or  die,  I  guess !  "  And  he  leaped 
forward  once  more. 


A  CALL  TO  REPEL  BOARDERS        269 

Two  tall  Russians  were  directly  in  front  of  the 
old  Yankee  giuiner,  and  both  fell  upon  him  with 
their  cutlasses  at  the  same  instant.  Luke  was 
capable  of  warding  off  the  weapon  of  one,  but  he 
was  no  match  for  the  pair,  and  it  speedily  looked  as 
if  they  would  surely  kill  him. 

"  Back  with  ye!  "  he  yelled,  and  swung  his  cutlass 
as  rapidly  as  he  could,  but  they  crowded  him  still 
closer  and  then  one  made  a  thrust  at  his  face  and  an- 
other at  his  body. 

It  was  at  this  critical  moment  that  Larry,  who 
had  been  engaged  with  somebody  else,  saw  his  old 
war  chum's  predicament.  With  a  leap  he  gained 
Luke's  side,  and  down  came  his  cutlass  with  a  sweep- 
ing blow  on  the  wrist  of  one  of  the  enemy.  The 
Russian  dropped  his  cutlass  to  the  deck  and  stag- 
gered back,  his  hand  almost  severed  from  his  arm. 
Then  Luke  slashed  the  other  Russian  across  the 
cheek,  and  both  of  the  enemy  hurried  back  behind 
the  other  fighters. 

"  Good  f  er  you,  Larry !  "  panted  Luke,  when  he 
could  speak.  "  They  had  me  about  cornered !  " 

"  These  fellows  certainly  know  how  to  put  up  a 
stiff  fight." 

"  You're  wounded  yourself.     Better  go  below." 

"  No,  I'm  going  to  see  it  out.  Why  don't  you  go 
down  yourself  ?  " 


2/O  AT  THE   FALL   OF   PORT  ARTHUR 

"  It  ain't  in  me,  that's  why,"  answered  the  old 
Yankee  gunner. 

Again  came  a  fierce  onslaught  from  the  Russians. 
But  the  Japanese  now  had  another  rifle  gun  in 
place,  and  sharpshooters  were  crowding  the  fighting 
tops.  The  latter  picked  off  the  Russian  officers,  and 
this  created  a  momentary  confusion.  Then  came  a 
sudden  order  to  unlock  the  two  ships  and  this  was 
done. 

"  The  Russian  ship  is  going  down ! "  was  the 
yell,  and  the  news  proved  true.  An  explosion  be- 
low decks  had  torn  a  hole  in  the  Russian  warship's 
bottom  and  she  began  to  sink  rapidly. 

The  scene  was  now  indescribable.  Both  the  Rus- 
sians and  the  Japanese  on  the  doomed  vessel  en- 
deavored to  reach  the  deck  of  the  Shohirika.  In 
this  struggle  the  majority  of  the  Russians  re- 
ceived the  worst  of  it,  and  fully  fifty  of  them,  in- 
cluding not  a  few  wounded,  remained  on  board 
when  the  doomed  warship  took  her  final  plunge  be- 
neath the  waters  of  the  sea.  Eighteen  Japanese 
were  likewise  drowned,  including  two  under  officers. 

"  Surrender,  or  we  will  drive  you  over  the  side !  " 
was  the  command  from  the  Japanese,  and  utterly  dis- 
heartened by  the  loss  of  their  ship,  the  Russians 
threw  down  their  arms;  and  the  fierce  and  bloody 
contest  was  at  an  end.  The  common  sailors  were 


A   CALL    TO    REPEL    BOARDERS  271 

driven  forward  and  chained  together  or  bound  with 
ropes,  and  the  officers  were  grouped  near  the  stern, 
where  a  formal  surrender  was  made  by  the  captain 
of  the  lost  ship  giving  up  his  sword.  This  formal- 
ity over,  the  Japanese  set  to  work  at  once,  cleaning 
up  the  deck  and  caring  for  the  wounded  as  well  as 
the  hospital  accommodations  of  the  Shohirika  would 
permit. 

"  I  never  wish  to  see  another  fight  like  that,"  was 
Larry's  comment,  when  he  had  washed  up  and  had 
his  wounds  dressed.  "  It  was  simply  a  slaughter !  " 

"  Right  you  are,  lad,"  answered  Luke.  "  An'  I 
reckon  I'm  a-goin'  to  carry  the  scars  o'  it  down  to 
my  grave."  The  old  Yankee  gunner  had  received 
several  severe  wounds,  and  he  was  glad  enough  to 
have  Larry  swing  his  hammock  for  him  and  lie  down 
to  rest. 

The  battle  over,  the  captain  of  the  Shohirika 
sailed  away,  to  look  for  the  big  brig  once  more  and 
to  report  to  the  flagship  of  the  fleet.  But  the  brig 
had  taken  time  by  the  forelock  and  left  for  parts  un- 
known. 

"  I  suppose  that  is  the  last  of  Shamhaven  and 
Peterson  and  my  money,"  said  Larry,  when  this 
news  reached  him.  "  I  wish  we  had  met  that  brig 
a  week  ago." 

"  Oh,  it's  possible  we  may  see  her  again,"  said 


2/2  AT    THE   FALL   OF   PORT   ARTHUR 

Luke,  cheerfully.  "  But  it  gets  me  that  she  ran 
away,  unless  she  had  something  to  run  for." 

"  She  must  have  been  carrying  some  contraband 
of  war,  Luke." 

"  It  ain't  unlikely,  lad.  Well,  she's  gone,  an'  it 
ain't  no  use  to  cry  over  spilt  milk.  When  you  write 
to  Captain  Ponsberry  you  can  tell  him  ye  saw  them 
two  rascals  an'  thet's  all  the  good  it  did." 

"  Do  you  know  what  I'm  thinking?  " 

"Well?" 

"  I'm  thinking  that  brig  was  bound  for  Port 
Arthur,  and  she'll  slip  into  that  port  some  dark  and 
misty  night." 

"  It's  a  risky  piece  o'  business.  Either  our  ships 
or  the  mines  are  likely  to  blow  her  up." 

"  That  is  true.  But  the  Russians  at  the  port  must 
be  getting  desperate,  and  they'll  most  likely  pay  any 
kind  of  a  price  for  supplies.  A  captain  who  ran 
the  blockade  successfully  could  make  a  fortune," 
returned  Larry. 

The  young  gunner's  mate  was  right  in  his  sur- 
mise. The  big  brig  was  a  Russian  vessel  in  dis- 
guise and  loaded  to  her  fullest  capacity  with  supplies 
for  the  blockaded  seaport.  She  had  been  fitted  out 
at  Vladivostok,  but  had  taken  a  wide  sea  course,  so 
as  to  pretend  to  have  set  sail  from  Nagasaki.  Sev- 
eral Russian  shipping  merchants  were  interested  in 


A  CALL  TO  REPEL  BOARDERS        2/3 

the  venture,  which  was  a  private  one,  and  among 
the  number  was  Ivan  Snokoff.  From  Captain 
Barusky,  Snokoff  had  heard  that  fabulous  prices 
could  be  obtained  for  needed  commodities  at  Port 
Arthur,  and  he  had  invested  nearly  every  ruble  he 
possessed  in  the  enterprise.  If  the  vessel  succeeded 
in  reaching  Port  Arthur,  Captain  Barusky  was  to 
undertake  the  disposal  of  the  goods  shipped  in 
Snokoff 's  name,  and  then  the  two  were  to  divide  the 
profits. 

The  big  brig  had  come  close  to  being  wrecked  off 
the  coast  of  Japan  and  during  a  gale  had  run  down 
a  fishing  smack  containing  Shamhaven,  Peterson, 
and  two  Japanese.  One  Japanese  had  been 
drowned,  and  the  three  others  from  the  smack  had 
been  made  to  join  the  crew  of  the  big  brig.  This 
was  agreeable  to  Shamhaven  and  Peterson,  who  did 
not  wish  to  remain  near  Nagasaki  or  at  any  place 
where  Captain  Ponsberry  or  Larry  would  be  likely 
to  discover  them. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

FALl  OF  PORT  ARTHUR — CONCLUSION 

"  OPEN,  in  the  name  of  the  Czar !  " 

Such  was  the  command  which  startled  both  Ben 
and  Grace  Chase,  and  for  the  moment  each  gazed  at 
the  other  in  horror,  not  knowing  what  to  say  or  do. 

"I  must  get  away  from  here!"  whispered  the 
young  captain,  but  scarcely  had  he  spoken  when 
there  came  a  crash,  and  the  front  door  of  the  resi- 
dence swung  in.  Then  half  a  dozen  Russians 
poured  into  the  house. 

"  There  he  is,  as  I  suspected !  "  said  one,  an  officer 
from  the  prison.  "  We'll  see  that  you  do  not  escape 
again,"  he  added  to  Ben,  grimly. 

In  the  midst  of  the  excitement  Nathan  Chase  ar- 
rived. But  he  could  do  nothing  for  the  young  cap- 
tain, and  was  glad  that  he  was  left  to  protect  his 
daughter. 

"  We  ought  also  to  take  her,"  said  the  prison 
official.  "  She  did  wrong  to  harbor  this  prisoner." 
And  then,  without  further  ado,  Ben  was  marched 
back  to  the  place  from  which  he  had  escaped  such 
a  short  while  before. 


FALL  OF   PORT   ARTHUR — CONCLUSION        2/5 

After  that  the  time  passed  dismally  enough  for  the 
young  American.  For  having  run  away  he  was  put 
on  the  most  miserable  fare  the  prison  afforded,  the 
food  being  often  so  vile  he  could  not  touch  it. 
Whenever  he  attempted  to  protest  he  was  met  with 
kicks  and  blows. 

"  They  might  as  well  kill  me  and  be  done 
with  it,"  he  thought.  "Oh,  how  I  wish  the 
Japs  would  take  the  city  and  give  me  back  my 
liberty!" 

In  those  days  Port  Arthur  became  a  most  uncom- 
fortable place  for  all  living  there.  The  Japanese 
army  was  pressing  forward  steadily,  and  army  and 
navy  did  everything  possible  to  destroy  the  shipping 
in  the  harbor  and  make  the  various  forts  untenable. 
Shots  and  shells  were  hurled  into  the  city  at  all 
hours  of  the  day  and  night,  until  living  there  became 
worse  than  a  nightmare.  Among  the  soldiers 
scurvy  became  prevalent,  until  the  hospitals  could 
not  accommodate  the  sick  and  the  dying.  Nothing 
was  done  to  clean  up  the  streets,  and  the  rubbish  lay 
many  feet  deep  over  the  sidewalks.  Practically  all 
of  the  shops  were  closed,  for  they  had  next  to  noth- 
ing to  sell.  The  main  article  of  food  was  rice,  and 
to  cook  this  many  old  buildings  had  to  be  razed  in 
order  to  procure  necessary  firewood.  As  winter 
approached  the  suffering  of  the  poor  became  so  in- 


276  AT    THE   FALL  OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

tense  that  riots  broke  out  and  to  maintain  order  not 
a  few  were  shot  down. 

Such  was  the  condition  in  the  city.  Outside,  to 
the  northward,  the  fighting  went  on  week  after 
week.  So  many  soldiers  were  killed  upon  both  sides 
that  to  bury  the  dead  became  impossible,  and  thou- 
sands were  left  where  they  had  fallen,  to  become  the 
prey  of  vultures,  or  to  putrefy  and  fill  the  locality 
with  a  stench  that  was  as  nauseating  as  it  was 
deadly!  Such  are  the  horrors  of  modern  warfare. 
The  demands  for  universal  peace  cannot  come  any 
too  quickly. 

In  the  advance  on  Port  Arthur,  Gilbert  did  his 
full  share  of  the  fighting.  The  Japanese  were  now 
struggling  for  the  possession  of  what  was  known  as 
2O3-Meter  Hill,  a  rocky  elevation  which  was  not 
fortified  but  which  was  in  the  direct  line  of  Russian 
fire.  The  top  of  2O3-Meter  Hill  commanded  a  fine 
view  of  Port  Arthur  and  its  harbor,  and  it  was  this 
view  the  Japanese  needed,  in  order  to  make  their 
shell  fire  most  effective. 

The  battle  for  2O3-Meter  Hill  is  one  which  will  be 
long  remembered.  The  Japanese  fought  with  a 
desperation  impossible  to  describe,  and  when  the  hill 
was  captured,  General  Stoessel  sent  out  nearly  all 
his  available  men  to  retake  it.  But  this  could  not 
be  accomplished,  and  late  in  December  the  Japanese 


FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR — CONCLUSION        2/7 

stormed  the  inner  defenses  of  the  Russian  chain  of 
forts,  killing  nearly  all  of  the  brave  defenders  who 
dared  to  oppose  them.  Then  tons  upon  tons  of  shot 
and  shell  were  sent  into  Port  Arthur  and  over  the 
harbor  once  again,  until  the  locality  became  little 
short  of  an  inferno.  Nearly  all  the  shipping  was 
destroyed,  and  so  many  buildings  were  set  on  fire 
that  to  stem  the  conflagration  became  all  but  im- 
possible. The  end  came  on  New  Year's  Day,  1905 
— ten  months  after  the  famous  siege  began.  To 
hold  out  longer  seemed  impossible,  and  to  avoid 
further  carnage  General  Stoessel  called  a  council  of 
war  and  sent  a  message  to  General  Nogi  offering  to 
capitulate. 

"  Port  Arthur  has  surrendered !  "  The  news  flew 
from  one  Japanese  regiment  to  another,  and  soon  the 
warships  were  sending  the  message  from  vessel  to 
vessel.  For  once  the  Japanese  showed  their  real 
feelings,  and  "  Banzai!  Banzai! "  rent  the  air  again 
and  again.  "  Long  life  to  the  Mikado !  Port  Ar- 
thur is  ours  once  more !  " 

"  It  is  a  well-earned  victory !  "  cried  Larry,  when 
he  heard  the  news. 

"  Yes,  lad,  and  I  trust  it  brings  this  bloody  war 
to  a  close,"  came  from  Luke. 

"  They  say  General  Stoessel  blew  up  the  war- 
ships remaining  in  the  harbor." 


2/8  AT   THE   FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

"  He  couldn't  have  had  many  left,"  returned  the 
old  Yankee  gunner.  "  The  army  and  the  navy  have 
about  battered  everything  to  bits."  And  in  this  sur- 
mise Luke  was  correct. 

The  fall  of  Port  Arthur  caused  widespread  con- 
sternation in  Russia,  while  the  people  of  Japan  were 
correspondingly  elated.  Because  of  the  gallant  de- 
fense of  the  place,  the  Japanese  made  generous  terms 
with  those  who  had  surrendered,  much  to  the  satis- 
faction of  the  world  at  large.  Many  had  predicted 
a  universal  butchery,  but  nothing  of  the  sort  oc- 
curred, and  the  Russian  sick  and  wounded  were 
given  every  possible  attention. 

After  the  fall  of  the  port  Larry  was  permitted  to 
go  ashore  some  miles  above  the  town,  and  he  man- 
aged to  located  Gilbert,  and  then  learned  for  the  first 
time  that  Ben  was  a  prisoner  in  the  captured  place. 

"A  prisoner!  "  he  ejaculated.  "  Oh,  Gilbert,  we 
must  find  him  and  have  him  released ! " 

"  That  is  just  what  I  have  been  thinking,  but  I 
don't  know  exactly  how  to  go  at  it,  Larry." 

"  There  ought  to  be  some  way  of  doing  these 
things.  We  might  interview  one  of  the  generals 
and Who  is  that  coming  this  way?  " 

"Why,  it's  Ben  himself!"  cried  Gilbert. 

"  Ben !  "  screamed  Larry,  and  ran  forward  to 
meet  his  brother.  Soon  they  were  in  each  other's 


FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR — CONCLUSION        2/9 

arms,  and  then  Gilbert  received  an  equally  warm 
greeting. 

"  We  were  released  this  morning,"  said  Ben. 
"  I  can  tell  you  I  was  mighty  glad  of  it.  I  haven't 
had  a  meal  fit  to  eat  in  weeks." 

"  Well,  you  shall  have  the  best  our  larder  affords," 
said  Gilbert.  "  My,  but  you're  a  sight  for  sore 
eyes !  "  he  continued. 

"  Don't  say  a  word !  "  came  from  Larry.  Two 
tears  were  glistening  in  his  honest  eyes.  "  It's  al- 
most too  good  to  be  true ! " 

Here  let  me  add  a  few  words  more  and  then  bring 
to  a  close  this  tale  of  the  naval  and  military  adven- 
tures "At  the  Fall  of  Port  Arthur." 

After  the  surrender  of  the  city  the  army  in  that 
vicinity,  and  also  the  fleet  near  the  harbor,  had  but 
little  to  do  outside  of  caring  for  the  sick  and 
wounded  and  disposing  of  the  thousands  of  prison- 
ers. The  Russian  officers  were  allowed  to  go  on 
parole  and  the  prisoners  were  transported  to  Japan. 
Many  of  the  mines  in  the  harbor  were  taken  up,  so 
that  ships  might  come  and  go  in  safety. 

Larry  was  anxious  to  learn  what  had  become  of 
Shamhaven  and  Peterson,  and  through  the  Japanese 
guards  stationed  in  Port  Arthur  located  the  rascally 
sailors  at  a  cheap  boarding-house.  Both  were  made 


28o  AT   THE    FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR 

prisoners,  and  Larry  got  back  a  portion  of  the  money 
stolen  from  Captain  Ponsberry  and  himself.  It  was 
learned  that  the  big  brig  had  been  destroyed  by  the 
Japanese  shell  fire,  so  that  Ivan  Snokoff  lost  every- 
thing he  placed  in  the  venture. 

"  Well,  it  served  him  right,"  said  Gilbert,  when 
he  heard  of  this.  "  He  is  responsible  for  the  time 
Ben  spent  in  prison." 

What  had  become  of  Captain  Barusky  was  at 
first  a  mystery.  But  at  last  it  was  learned  that  he 
had  sneaked  aboard  of  a  transport  filled  with 
wounded  soldiers  and  bound  for  Chefoo.  He  pre- 
tended to  be  wounded  himself,  and  was  given  medi- 
cal attention  until  the  trick  was  discovered,  when  he 
was  treated  as  a  coward.  As  soon  as  Chefoo  was 
reached  he  disappeared,  and  that  was  the  last  seen 
or  heard  of  him  for  some  time. 

"  We  are  well  rid  of  that  fellow,"  said  Ben.  "  I 
hope  the  Russians  read  him  out  of  their  army.  He 
isn't  fit  to  hold  a  commission." 

"  What  do  you  imagine  will  be  the  next  move  in 
this  war  ?  "  questioned  Gilbert. 

"  It  is  hard  to  tell.  I  think  they  will  try  to  take 
Mukden,  for  one  thing." 

"  Russia  is  going  to  send  out  more  warships,"  put 
in  Larry.  "  If  they  come  this  way,  it  may  mean 
more  fighting  for  me." 


FALL   OF    PORT   ARTHUR — CONCLUSION         28 1 

"  Well,  I  reckon  you'll  do  your  duty,  if  you  are 
put  to  it,"  answered  Gilbert,  with  a  smile. 

"  And  so  will  you  do  yours,"  came  from  Larry. 

"  We'll  all  try  to  do  our  duty,"  broke  in  Ben. 
"  We  didn't  join  the  army  and  the  navy  to  hang 
back.  Just  the  same,  I'd  enjoy  a  bit  of  a  rest  just 
now." 

The  others  agreed  that  the  rest  would  be  beneficial 
all  around.  It  was  given  to  them ;  and  here,  for  the 
present  at  least,  we  will  leave  them,  wishing  them  the 
best  of  good  luck  in  the  future. 


THE  END 


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